OF  THE 

UN  IVLRSITY 
Of  ILLINOIS 
Received  by  bequest  from 
Albert  H.  Lybyer 
Professor  of  History 
University  of  Illinois 
1916-1949 

■=>& 

353 


PERSONAL  NARRATIVE 


PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL-MEDINAH 
AND  MECCAH. 


BY  RICHARD  F.  BURTON, 

LIEUT.  BOMBAY  ARMY. 


WITH  INTRODUCTION  BY  BAYARD  TAYLOR. 


••  Our  notions  of  Meccan  most  be  drawn  from  the  Arabians ; as  no  unbeliever  is  permitted  to  enter  the 
city,  our  travellers  are  silent.”'—  Gibbon,  chap.  50. 


Stop,  an!)  €ba  Illustrations. 


SECOND  AMERICAN  EDITION. 


B OSTON : 

SHEPARD,  CLARK  & BROWN. 


1 858. 


PUBLISHERS’  PREFACE. 


The  English  Edition  of  “ Burton’s  Pilgrimage  to 
Ei  Medinah  and  Meccah”  was  originally  published  in 
three  volumes,  large  octavo.  In  order  to  meet  the 
requirements  of  the  American  public,  both  as  regards 
the  size  and  expense  of  the  work,  it  has  been  deemed 
expedient  to  abridge  and  condense  some  chapters.  The 
portions  omitted,  however,  do  not  affect  the  narrative 
or  the  incidents  of  the  visit  to  the  Holy  Places,  but 
chiefly  relate  to  Lieut.  Burton’s  preliminary  residence 
in  Egypt,  and  to  historical  and  ethnological  considera- 
tions. An  Appendix,  containing  a resume  of  former 
explorations,  is  also  omitted,  but  its  place  is  supplied 
by  the  introductory  essay  by  Bayard  Taylor. 

We  believe  that  the  readers  of  the  narrative  of 
Lieut.  Burton’s  singular  and  dangerous  journey  will 
sustain  us  in  the  assertion,  that  no  volume  of  modern 
travel  possesses  greater  intrinsic  interest  or  originality, 
while  for  graphic  description  it  compares  favorably 
with  the  “Eothen”  of  Kinglake,  or  the  “ Crescent  and 
the  Cross”  of  Warburton. 

G.  P.  PUTNAM  & CO. 


321  Broadway,  N.  Y. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2016  with  funding  from 

University  of  Illinois  Urbana-Champaign  Alternates 


https://archive.org/details/personalnarrativ00burt_0 


EDITOR’S  PREFACE 


TO  THE  ENGLISH  EDITION. 

The  interest  just  now  felt  in  everything  that  relates  to 
the  East  would  alone  be  sufficient  to  ensure  to  the 
author  of  “El  Medinah  and  Meccah”  the  favorable 
consideration  of  the  Reading  Public.  But  when  it  is 
borne  in  mind  that  since  the  days  of  William  Pitts  of 
Exeter  (a.d.  1678-1688)  no  European  travellers,  with 
the  exception  of  Burckliardt*  and  Lieut.  Burton,  f have 
been  able  to  send  us  back  an  account  of  their  travels 
there,  it  cannot  be  doubted  but  that  the  present  work 
will  be  hailed  as  a welcome  addition  to  our  knowledge 
of  these  hitherto  mysterious  penetralia  of  Mahommedan 
superstition.  In  fact,  El  Medinah  may  be  considered 
almost  a virgin  theme;  for  as  Burckhardt  was  pros- 
trated by  sickness  throughout  the  period  of  his  stay  in 
the  Northern  Hejaz,  he  was  not  able  to  describe  it  as 
satisfactorily  or  minutely  as  he  did  the  southern  coun- 
try,—he  could  not  send  a plan  of  the  mosque,  or  correct 
the  popular  but  erroneous  ideas  which  prevail  concern- 
ing it  and  the  surrounding  city. 

* In  1811. 

f Captain  Sadlier  is  not  mentioned,  as  his  Frankish  dress  prevented 
his  entering  the  city. 


VI 


PREFACE. 


The  reader  may  question  the  propriety  of  introduc- 
ing, in  a work  of  description,  anecdotes  which  may 
appear  open  to  the  charge  of  triviality.  The  author’s 
object,  however,  seems  to  be  to  illustrate  the  peculiari- 
ties of  the  people, — to  dramatize,  as  it  were,  the  dry 
journal  of  a journey, — and  to  preserve  the  tone  of  the 
adventures,  together  with  that  local  coloring  in  which 
mainly  consists  u V education  d?un  voyage .” 

It  was  during  a residence  of  many  years  in  India  that 
Mr.  Burton  had  fitted  himself  for  his  late  undertaking, 
by  acquiring,  through  his  peculiar  aptitude  for  such 
studies,  a thorough  acquaintance  with  various  dialects 
of  Arabia  and  Persia ; and,  indeed,  his  Eastern  cast  of 
features  seemed  to  point  him  out  as  the  very  person  of 
all  others  best  suited  for  an  expedition  like  that  de- 
scribed in  the  following  pages. 

It  will  be  observed  that  in  writing  Arabic,  Hindoos- 
tannee,  Persian,  or  Turkish  words,  the  author  has  gene- 
rally adopted  the  system  proposed  by  Sir  William 
Jones  and  modified  by  later  Orientalists.  But  when  a 
word  (like  Fat-hah  for  Fatihah)  has  been  “ stamped”  by 
general  popular  use,  the  conversational  form,  has  been 
preferred ; and  the  same,  too,  may  be  said  of  the  com- 
mon corruptions,  Cairo,  Kadi,  &c.,  which,  in  any  other 
form,  would  appear  to  us  pedantic  and  ridiculous. 
Still,  in  the  absence  of  the  author,  it  must  be  expected 
that  some  trifling  errors  and  inaccuracies  will  have  here 
and  there  crept  in. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  L PAGB 

A few  Words  concerning  what  Induced  me  to  a Pilgrimage,  . . 17 

CHAPTER  IL 

I Leave  Alexandria, 29 

CHAPTER  III. 

The  Nile  Steamboat, 41 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Life  in  the  Wakalah, 48 

CHAPTER  V. 

The  Mosque, 73 

CHAPTER  VL 

Preparations  to  Quit  Cairo, 86 

CHAPTER  VH. 

From  Cairo  to  Suez, 94 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Suez, . . 107 

CHAPTER  IX. 

The  Pilgrim  Ship, 120 

CHAPTER  X. 

To  Yambu, 135 

CHAPTER  XI. 

The  Halt  at  Yambu, 145 

CHAPTER  XII. 

From  Yambu  to  Bir  Abbas, 155 

CHAPTER  XIH. 

From  Bir  Abbas  to  El  Medinah, 167 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

Through  the  Suburb  of  El  Medinah  to  Hamid’s  House,  ....  17  9 

CHAPTER  XV. 

A Visit  to  the  Prophet’s  Tomb,  194 


Vlll 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  XYL  pagb 

El  Medinah, 230 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

A Ride  to  the  Mosque  of  Kuba, 243 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

The  Visitation  of  Hamzah’s  Tomb, 257 

CHAPTER  XIX. 

The  People  of  El  Medinah, 278 

CHAPTER  XX. 

A Visit  to  the  Saints’  Cemetery, 290 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

From  El  Medinah  to  El  Suwayrkiyah, 804 

CHAPTER  XXH. 

The  Bedouins  of  El  Hejaz, 318 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

From  El  Suwayrkiyah  to  Meccah, 345 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

The  House  of  Allah, 366 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

The  First  Visit  to  the  House  of  Allah, 389 

CHAPTER  XXVI. 

Of  Hajj,  or  Pilgrimage, 401 

CHAPTER  XXVII. 

The  Ceremonies  of  the  Yaum  El  Tarwiyah, 413 

CHAPTER  XXVHI. 

The  Ceremonies  of  the  Day  of  Arafat, 423 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

The  Ceremonies  of  the  Day  of  Victims, 432 

CHAPTER  XXX. 

The  Days  of  Drying  Flesh,  446 

CHAPTER  XXXL 

Life  at  Meccah,  and  the  Little  Pilgrimage, 463 

CHAPTER  XXXII. 

Places  of  Pious  Visitation  at  Meccah,  ...  ...  469 

CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

To  Jeddah, 479 


INTRODUCTORY  NOTICE. 


BY  BAYARD  TAYLOR. 

The  present  century  is  already  remarkable  beyond  the  last, 
for  the  extent  and  richness  of  its  contributions  to  geo- 
graphical knowledge ; but  the  generation  in  which  we  live 
will  be  especially  noted  hereafter  as  that  which  has  pre- 
eminently invaded  the  few  lingering  haunts  of  fable,  and 
brought  their  cherished  mysteries  under  the  microscopic 
lenses  of  modern  eyes.  Within  ten  years  the  courageous 
M.  Hue  has  penetrated  through  the  vast  interior  realms  of 
China  and  Tartary,  to  the  sacred  city  of  Lha-Ssa,  of  which 
he  has  given  the  first  satisfactory  description ; Lieutenant 
Lynch  has  exploded  the  superstitious  terrors  with  which 
the  Dead  Sea  was  regarded  ; Dr.  Barth  has  returned  safely 
to  Europe,  after  a residence  of  seven  months  at  Tim- 
buctoo ; Dr.  Krapf  has  looked  upon  the  snowy  pinnacles 
of  the  long  lost  Mountains  of  the  Moon ; and  now,  Lieu- 
tenant Burton,  having  penetrated  to  Medina  and  Mecca, 
and  entered  the  holiest  sanctuaries  of  the  Moslem  faith, 
presents  us  with  the  picturesque  story  of  his  pilgrimage. 
The  extreme  reverence  in  which  these  cities  are  held, 


X 


INTRODUCTION* 


and  that  jealousy  which  prevents  all  acknowledged  fol- 
lowers of  other  religions  from  visiting,  or  even  approaching 
them,  undoubtedly  grew  out  of  the  fierce  and  fanatical 
character  of  Mohammedanism  in  its  earlier  days.  The 
violence  of  that  fanaticism  is  now  over.  Except  in  Arabia, 
the  cradle  and  stronghold  of  Islam,  the  Frank  Christians 
mingle  freely  with  the  followers  of  the  Prophet,  not  only 
without  indignity,  but  in  many  places  as  their  friends  and 
protectors.  The  rapid  spread  of  intercourse  between  the 
East  and  the  West,  and,  more  than  all,  the  recent  alliance 
of  Christian  and  Moslem  powers  in  the  war  against  Russia, 
has  greatly  weakened,  and,  in  the  course  of  time,  may 
wholly  obliterate,  the  bitterness  of  that  religious  prejudice 
which  has  hitherto  been  the  characteristic  of  such  inter- 
course. Its  effect  is  already  seen,  in  the  facility  with 
which  travellers  now  obtain  access  to  the  sacred  mosques 
of  Constantinople  and  Cairo.  Even  the  Mosque  of  Omar, 
at  Jerusalem,  where,  five  years  ago,  Christians  were  stoned 
for  attempting  to  enter — whose  gates  would  not  open  to  a 
Frank  for  a firman  of  the  Sultan  himself — has  alike  become 
accessible  to  profane  feet.  The  same  change  will  even- 
tually overtake  the  more  bigoted  population  of  the  Hedjaz, 
and  future  travellers,  perhaps,  in  green  veils  and  spectacles, 
may  languidly  scrutinize  the  mosques  of  Mecca.  The 
success  of  such  men  as  Burckhardt  and  Burton  should  not 
be  ascribed,  however,  to  this  circumstance.  It  is  entirely 
due  to  their  courage,  prudence,  and  perseverance,  and  to 
their  intimate  acquaintance  with  eastern  life,  and  the  cere- 
monials of  the  Moslem  faith. 


INTRODUCTION. 


xi 


The  design  of  visiting  Mecca  has  been  a favorite  one 
with  travellers  for  centuries  past,  but  the  difficulties  in  the 
way  of  its  prosecution  have  been  so  great,  that  the  number 
of  those  who  succeeded  may  be  reckoned  upon  the  fingers 
of  one’s  hand.  Lieutenant  Burton,  in  an  Appendix  to  the 
English  edition  of  his  work,  gives  extracts  from  the  de- 
scriptions of  his  predecessors,  which  differ  from  his  own  and 
Burckhardt’s  in  some  trifling  particulars,  but  correspond 
much  more  nearly  than  might  have  been  expected  from 
travellers  of  such  different  epochs.  Gibbon,  at  the  time  of 
writing  his  “ Decline  and  Fall  of  the  Roman  Empire,”  was 
not  aware  any  Christian  had  reached  Mecca  up  to  that 
time.  It  appears,  however,  from  Mr.  Burton’s  investiga- 
tions, that  two  persons  had  accomplished  the  journey — 
Lodovico  Bartema,  a gentleman  of  Rome,  in  the  year 
1603;  and  Joseph  Pitts,  of  Exon,  England,  in  1680.  To 
these  may  be  added,  in  later  years,  Giovanni  Finati,  an 
Italian  renegade,  and  Burckhardt,  both  in  1814,  and 
Burton,  in  1853.  The  French  apostates  in  the  service  of 
Mohammed  Ali,  some  of  whom  made  the  usual  pilgrimage, 
as  good  Mussulmans,  need  not  be  reckoned.  Some  of  them 
have  published  accounts  of  their  experiences,  it  is  true ; 
but,  as  new  converts  to  the  faith,  they  were  regarded  with 
distrust,  and  thereby  prevented  from  making  measure- 
ments or  observations.  Their  accounts  are  therefore  very 
inaccurate,  and  contribute  nothing  to  our  knowledge  of  the 
holy  cities. 

The  first  traveller  on  the  list,  Lodovico  Bartema, 
visited  Damascus  in  his  wanderings  through  the  East,  and 


Xii  INTRODUCTION. 

there  won  the  friendship  of  a Mameluke  captain,  who  was 
a renegade  Christian.  Disguising  himself  as  a Mameluke, 
he  accompanied  the  latter  on  a pilgrimage  to  Mecca,  appa- 
rently conducting  himself  as  a devout  Mussulman,  for  his 
real  character  was  not  suspected,  although  he  was  after- 
wards imprisoned  for  a time  in  Yemen,  on  acknowledging 
himself  a Christian.  His  narrative  has  all  the  quaint  sim- 
plicity and  picturesque  character  of  those  of  the  early 
travellers,  with  no  more  credulity  than  is  necessary  to  give 
piquancy  to  his  story.  Lieutenant  Burton,  who  of  course 
is  thoroughly  competent  to  judge  on  this  point,  places  him 
in  the  foremost  rank  of  the  old  oriental  travellers,  for  cor- 
rectness of  observation  and  readiness  of  wit. 

Joseph  Pitts  was  an  English  boy,  who,  for  love  of 
adventure  going  to  sea  in  his  fifteenth  or  sixteenth  year, 
was  captured  by  Algerine  pirates  and  sold  as  a slave.  His 
master,  who  had  been  a great  sinner,  determined  to 
convert  him,  as  an  atonement  for  his  own  impiety,  and 
achieved  his  object  by  means  of  the  bastinado.  Pitts 
submitted  to  this  violent  conversion,  and  performed  all  the 
external  forms  and  ceremonies  required  of  him;  but  hated 
the  new  faith  in  his  heart,  with  a vehemence  which  was 
not  in  the  least  abated  by  fifteen  years  of  Moslem  life.  He 
was  taken  to  Mecca  and  El  Medinah  by  his  master, 
remained  some  months  in  the  former  city,  and  returned  to 
Cairo.  Having  received  his  freedom,  he  determined  to 
make  his  escape,  in  which,  after  various  adventures,  he 
succeeded,  and  returned  safely  to  England.  His  de- 
scriptions of  the  Beit  Allah  (house  of  God)  at  Mecca,  the 


INTRODUCTION.  xiii 

ceremonies  on  Mount  Arafat,  the  stoning  of  the  devil,  and 
other  features  of  the  pilgrimage,  are  very  circumstantial 
and  correct,  considering  that  they  were  written  from 
memory,  after  a lapse  of  many  years.  Lieutenant  Bur- 
ton finds  little  fault  with  Pitts,  except  his  hatred  and 
bigotry,  which  the  manner  of  his  conversion  may  well 
explain. 

Finati  was  an  ignorant  and  unprincipled  Italian  rene- 
gade, who  made  the  campaign  against  the  Wahabees  for 
the  recovery  of  Mecca  and  Medina,  in  the  army  of 
Mohammed  Ali.  Mr.  Bankes,  the  English  traveller,  after- 
wards took  him  into  his  service,  and  translated  the  narra- 
tive of  his  adventures,  which  was  dictated  in  Italian,  as  he 
was  unable  to  write.  The  particulars  he  gives  concerning 
the  holy  places  of  Mecca  are  very  imperfect  and  unsatis- 
factory. Burckhardt,  who  made  his  visit  to  Mecca  and 
Medina  in  the  same  year  as  Finati,  may  be  considered 
as  the  first  enlightened  and  experienced  traveller  who 
describes  those  places.  He  ventured  on  the  undertaking 
only  after  years  of  preparation  in  the  East,  and  a fami- 
liarity with  the  language  and  the  faith  so  complete,  that, 
under  his  assumed  name  of  Shekh  Ibrahim,  his  real  cha- 
racter was  unsuspected.  Once  only,  when  visiting  Mo- 
hammed Ali,  at  Tayf,  was  he  subjected  to  a rigid  exami- 
nation on  points  of  Mohammedan  doctrine,  by  two  learned 
shekhs  ul-Islam , at  the  instance  of  the  pasha,  who  had 
heard  suspicions  whispered  against  him  in  Cairo.  Burck- 
hardt passed  the  test  triumphantly,  the  shekhs  declaring, 
that  he  was  not  only  a genuine  Mussulman,  but  one  of 


Xiv  INTRODUCTION. 

unusual  learning  and  piety.  After  performing  all  the 
ceremonies  of  the  pilgrimage,  he  returned  to  Mecca,  where 
he  remained  three  months,  before  visiting  Medina.  At  the 
latter  place  he  was  too  ill  to  make  many  observations, 
and  his  descriptions  are  more  meagre  than  usual.  His 
accounts  of  the  holy  edifices  of  Mecca,  and  the  pilgrim 
ceremonies,  however,  are  very  complete,  and  Burton  pays 
the  highest  tribute  to  his  correctness,  by  copying  entire  his 
description  of  the  Kaaba. 

The  present  author,  therefore,  traverses  a partly  beaten 
track,  but  a track  wherein  the  last  success  reflects  as 
much  honor  as  the  first.  His  experiment,  in  fact,  was  even 
more  daring  than  that  of  Burckhardt,  whose  assumed 
character  was  already  recognised  throughout  the  Orient, 
and  who,  after  his  examination  at  Tayf,  was  placed  beyond 
the  reach  of  suspicion.  Burton,  on  the  other  hand,  was  a 
novice  in  this  special  field,  and  was  obliged  to  disguise 
himself  under  a totally  different  character.  He  took  his 
part  with  admirable  boldness  and  skill,  and  when  once 
suspected  by  the  young  Meccan  rogue,  Mohammed,  whose 
travels  had  made  his  vision  precociously  keen,  was  zea- 
lously defended  by  the  remainder  of  the  party,  who  com- 
pletely silenced  his  accuser.  Burton’s  narrative  is  especially 
valuable  for  his  full  and  accurate  particulars  of  the  religious 
observances  of  the  pilgrimage,  and  the  various  formulas 
of  salutation  and  prayer.  In  this  respect  there  is  no  other 
work  of  the  kind  equal  to  it.  His  descriptions  of  the  holy 
edifices  are  scrupulously  technical  and  careful ; and  he 
gives  us,  for  the  first  time,  sketches  of  the  sacred  cities 


INTRODUCTION. 


XV 


which  impress  us  with  their  fidelity  to  nature.  We  could 
have  desired  more  ample  pictures  of  the  scenery  through 
which  he  passed,  and  the  spirited  account  of  the  voyage 
from  Suez  to  Yambu  shows  that  he  is  not  deficient  in 
descriptive  power.  But  much  allowance  must  be  made  for 
the  night  travels  of  the  pilgrim  caravan,  and  the  conse- 
quent fatigue  of  the  traveller.  He  has  the  advantage  over 
Burckhardt  of  writing  in  his  mother-tongue,  and  his 
narrative  is  much  richer  in  those  characteristic  personal 
incidents  and  adventures  which  are  the  vital  spirit  of  books 
of  travel. 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  so  prudent,  daring,  and  intelli- 
gent a traveller  will  be  permitted  to  carry  out  his  original 
scheme  of  exploring  the  interior  of  the  Arabian  peninsula — 
one  of  the  richest  and  most  interesting  fields  of  research 
now  remaining.  Certainly  no  one  is  better  qualified  for 
the  undertaking. 

B.  T. 

New  York,  July  ls£,  1856. 


A PILGRIMAGE 


TO 

EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 


CHAPTER  I. 

TO  ALEXANDRIA. 

A FEW  WORDS  CONCERNING  WHAT  INDUCED  ME  TO  A 
PILGRIMAGE. 

In  the  autumn  of  1852,  through  the  medium  of  General 
Monteith,  I offered  my  services  to  the  Royal  Geographical 
Society  of  London,  for  the  purpose  of  removing  that  oppro- 
brium to  modern  adventure,  the  huge  white  blot  which  in 
our  maps  still  notes  the  eastern  and  the  central  regions  of 
Arabia.  A deputation  from  that  distinguished  body,  with 
their  usual  zeal  for  discovery  and  readiness  to  encourage 
the  discoverer,  honored  me  by  warmly  supporting,  in  a 
personal  interview  with  the  Chairman  of  the  Court  of 
Directors  to  the  East  India  Company,  my  application  for 
three  years’  leave  of  absence  on  special  duty  from  India  to 
Muscat.  But  they  were  unable  to  prevail  upon  Sir  James 
Hogg,  who,  remembering  the  fatalities  which  of  late  years 
have  befallen  sundry  soldier-travellers  in  the  East,  refused 
his  sanction,  alleging  as  a reason  that  the  contemplated 


18  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

journey  was  of  too  dangerous  a nature.  In  compensation, 
however,  for  the  disappointment,  I was  graciously  allowel 
the  additional  furlough  of  a year,  in  order  to  pursue  my 
Arabic  studies  in  lands  where  the  language  is  best  learned. 

What  remained  for  me  but  to  prove,  by  trial,  that  what 
might  be  perilous  to  other  travellers  is  safe  to  me.  The 
“ experimentum  crucis”  was  a visit  to  El  Hejaz,  at  once 
the  most  difficult  and  the  most  dangerous  point  by  which  a 
European  can  enter  Arabia.  I had  intended,  had  the 
period  of  leave  originally  applied  for  been  granted,  to  land 
at  Muscat — a favorable  starting-place — and  there  to  apply 
myself,  slowly  and  surely,  to  the  task  of  spanning  the 
deserts.  But  now  I was  to  hurry,  in  the  midst  of  summer, 
after  a four  years’  sojourn  in  Europe,  during  which  many 
things  Oriental  had  fallen  away  from  my  memory,  and — 
after  passing  through  the  ordeal  of  Egypt,  a country  where 
the  police  is  curious  as  in  Rome  or  Milan — to  begin  with 
the  Moslem’s  Holy  Land,  the  jealously  guarded  and  exclu- 
sive Haram.  However,  being  liberally  supplied  with  the 
means  of  travel  by  the  Royal  Geographical  Society  ; 
thoroughly  tired  of  “ progress”  and  of  “ civilization 
curious  to  see  with  my  eyes  what  others  are  content  to 
44  hear  with  ears,”  namely,  Moslem’s  inner  life  in  a really 
Mohammedan  country;  and  longing,  if  truth  be  told,  to 
set  foot  on  that  mysterious  spot  which  no  tourist  had  yet 
described,  measured,  sketched  and  daguerreotyped,  I re- 
solved to  resume  an  old  character  of  a Persian  wanderer,* 
and  to  make  the  attempt. 

The  principal  object  with  which  I started  was  this  : — To 
cross  the  unknown  Arabian  Peninsula,  in  a direct  line  from 
either  El  Medinah  to  Muscat,  or  diagonally  from  Meccah  to 

* The  vagrant,  the  merchant,  and  the  philosopher,  amongst  Orientals, 
are  frequently  united  in  the  same  person. 


HOW  AND  WHY  UNDERTAKEN. 


19 


Makallah  on  the  Indian  Ocean.  By  what  circumstances  my 
plans  were  defeated,  the  reader  will  discover  in  the  course  of 
this  volume.  The  secondary  objects  were  numerous.  I 
was  desirous  to  find  out  if  any  market  for  horses  could  be 
opened  between  Central  Arabia  and  India,  where  the  studs 
are  beginning  to  excite  general  dissatisfaction ; to  obtain 
information  concerning  the  Great  Eastern  wilderness,  the 
vast  expanse  marked  Ruba  el  Khali  (the  empty  abode)  in 
our  maps ; to  inquire  into  the  hydrography  of  the  Hejaz, 
its  water-shed,  the  disputed  slope  of  the  country,  and  the 
existence  or  non-existence  of  perennial  streams ; and  finally, 
to  try,  by  actual  observation,  the  truth  of  a theory  proposed 
by  the  learned  Orientalist,  Col.  Sykes,  namely,  that  if  history 
speak  truth,  in  the  population  of  the  vast  Peninsula  there 
must  exist  certain  physiological  differences  sufficient  to 
warrant  our  questioning  the  common  origin  of  the  Arab 
family.  As  regards  the  horses,  I am  satisfied  that  from  the 
Eastern  coast  something  might  be  done, — nothing  on  the 
Western,  where  the  animals,  though  “ thorough-bred,” 
are  mere  “ weeds,”  of  a foolish  price,  and  procurable  only 
by  chance.  Of  the  Ruba  el  Khali  I have  heard  enough, 
from  credible  relators,  to  conclude  that  its  horrid  depths 
swarm  with  a large  and  half-starving  population  ; that 
it  abounds  in  wadys,  valleys,  gullies,  and  ravines,  par- 
tially fertilized  by  intermittent  torrents ; and  therefore,  that 
the  land  is  open  only  to  the  adventurous  traveller.  More- 
over, I am  satisfied,  that  in  spite  of  all  geographers,  from 
Ptolemy  to  Jormard,  Arabia,  which  abounds  in  fiumaras ,* 

* In  a communication  made  to  the  Royal  Geographical  Society,  and 
published  in  the  24th  vol.  of  the  Journal,  I have  given  my  reasons  for 
naturalising  this  word.  It  will  be  used  in  the  following  pages  to 
express  a “ hill  water-course,  which  rolls  a torrent  after  rain,  and  is 
either  partially  or  wholly  dry  during  the  drought  season.”  It  is,  in 
fact,  the  Indian  “ Nullah.” 


20  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

possesses  not  a single  perennial  stream  worthy  the  name  of 
river;  and  the  testimony  of  the  natives  induces  me  to 
think,  with  Wallin,  contrary  to  Ritter  and  others,  that  the 
Peninsula  falls  instead  of  rising  towards  the  south.  Finally, 
I have  found  proof,  to  be  produced  in  a future  part  of  this 
publication,  for  believing  in  three  distinct  races.  1.  The 
aborigines  of  the  country,  driven,  like  the  Bheels  and  other 
autochthonic  Indians,  into  the  eastern  and  south-eastern 
wilds  bordering  upon  the  ocean.  2.  A Syrian  or  Mesopo- 
tamian stock,  typified  by  Shem  and  Joktan,  that  drove  the 
indigenae  from  the  choicest  tracts  of  country ; these  invaders 
still  enjoy  their  conquests,  representing  the  great  Arabian 
people.  And  3.  An  impure  Egypto-Arab  clan — we  per- 
sonify it  by  Ishmael,  his  son  Nebajoth  and  Edom  (Esau, 
the  son  of  Isaac) — that  populated  and  still  populates  the 
Sinaitic  Peninsula.  And  in  most  places,  even  in  the  heart 
of  Meccah,  I met  with  debris  of  heathenry,  proscribed  by 
Mohammed,  yet  still  popular,  though  the  ignorant  observers 
of  the  old  customs  assign  to  them  a modern  and  a rational- 
istic origin. 

I have  entitled  this  account  of  my  summer’s  tour 
through  El  Hejaz,  a personal  narrative,  and  I have  labored 
to  make  its  nature  correspond  with  its  name,  simply 
because  “ it  is  the  personal  that  interests  mankind.”  Many 
may  not  follow  my  example  ;*  but  some,  perchance,  will  be 
curious  to  see  what  measures  I adopted,  in  order  to  appear 

* The  only  European  I have  met  with  who  visited  Meccah  without 
apostatising,  is  M.  Bertolucci,  Swedish  Consul  at  Cairo.  This  gentle- 
man persuaded  the  Bedouin  camel  men  who  were  accompanying  him 
to  Taif,  to  introduce  him  in  disguise ; he  naively  owns  that  his  terror 
of  discovery  prevented  his  making  any  observations.  Dr.  Wallin,  of 
Finland,  performed  the  Haj  in  1845  ; but  his  “ somewhat  perilous  posi- 
tion, and  the  filthy  company  of  Persians,”  were  effectual  obstacles  to  his 
taking  notes. 


GETTING  INTO  TRAIN. 


21 


suddenly  as  an  Eastern  upon  the  stage  of  Oriental  life ; and 
as  the  recital  may  he  found  useful  by  future  adventurers,  I 
make  no  apology  for  the  egotistical  semblance  of  the  narra- 
tive. Those  who  have  felt  the  want  of  some  “ silent  friend” 
to  aid  them  with  advice,  when  it  must  not  be  asked,  will 
appreciate  what  may  appear  to  the  uninterested  critic  mere 
outpourings  of  a mind  full  of  self. 

In  April,  1853,  I left  London  for  Southampton.  By  the 
advice  of  a brother  officer — little  thought  at  that  time  the 
adviser  or  the  advised  how  valuable  was  the  suggestion — 
my  Eastern  dress  was  called  into  requisition  before  leaving 
town,  and  all  my  “ impedimenta”  were  taught  to  look 
exceedingly  Oriental.  Early  the  next  day  a “ Persian 
Prince”  embarked  on  board  the  Peninsular  and  Oriental 
Company’s  screw  steamer  u Bengal.” 

A fortnight  was  profitably  spent  in  getting  into  the 
train  of  Oriental  manners.  For  what  polite  Chesterfield 
says  of  the  difference  between  a gentleman  and  his  reverse 
— namely,  that  both  perform  the  same  offices  of  life,  but 
each  in  a several  and  widely  different  way — is  notably  as 
applicable  to  the  manners  of  the  Eastern  as  of  the  W estern 
men.  Look,  for  instance,  at  an  Indian  Moslem  drinking  a 
glass  of  water.  With  us  the  operation  is  simple  enough, 
but  his  performance  includes  no  less  than  five  novelties. 
In  the  first  place,  he  clutches  his  tumbler  as  though  it  were 
the  throat  of  a foe  ; secondly,  he  ejaculates,  “ In  the  name 
of  Allah  the  Compassionate,  the  Merciful !”  before  wetting 
his  lips ; thirdly,  he  imbibes  the  contents,  swallowing  them, 
not  drinking,  and  ending  with  a satisfied  grunt ; fourthly, 
before  setting  down  the  cup,  he  sighs  forth,  “ Praise  be  to 
Allah !” — of  which  you  will  understand  the  full  meaning  in 
the  Desert ; and,  fifthly,  he  replies,  “ May  Allah  make  it 
pleasant  to  thee !”  in  answer  to  his  friend’s  polite  “ Pleasur- 
ably and  health !”  Also  he  is  careful  to  avoid  the  irreli- 


22  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINA II  AND  MECCAH. 

gious  action  of  drinking  the  pure  element  in  a standing 
position,  mindful,  however,  of  the  three  recognised  excep- 
tions, the  fluid  of  the  Holy  Well,  Zem-zem,  water  distri- 
buted in  charity,  and  that  which  remains  after  Wuzu, 
the  lesser  ablution.  Moreover,  in  Europe  one  forgets  the 
use  of  the  right  hand,  the  manipulation  of  the  rosary,  the 
abuse  of  the  chair, — your  genuine  Oriental  looks  almost 
as  comfortable  in  one  as  a sailor  upon  the  back  of  a high- 
trotting  horse — the  rolling  gait  with  the  toes  straight  to 
the  front,  the  grave  look  and  the  habit  of  pious  ejacula- 
tions. 

Our  voyage  over  the  “ summer  sea”  was  an  eventless 
one. 

The  ship  was  in  every  way  comfortable  ; the  cook, 
strange  to  say,  was  good,  and  the  voyage  lasted  long 
enough,  and  not  too  long.  On  the  evening  of  the  thir- 
teenth day  after  our  start,  the  big-trowsered  pilot,  so 
lovely  in  his  deformities  to  western  eyes,  made  his  appear- 
ance, and  the  good  screw  “ Bengal”  found  herself  at  anchor 
off  the  Headland  of  Figs. 

Having  been  invited  to  start  from  the  house  of  a kind 
friend,  I disembarked  with  him,  and  rejoiced  to  see  that  by 
dint  of  a beard  and  a shaven  head  I had  succeeded  in  mis- 
leading the  inquisitive  spirit  of  the  populace.  The  mingled 
herd  of  spectators  before  whom  we  passed  in  review  on  the 
landing-place,  hearing  an  audible  “ Alhamdulillah,”*  whis- 
pered “ Moslem !”  The  infant  population  spared  me  the 
compliments  usually  addressed  to  hatted  heads  ; and  when 
a little  boy,  presuming  that  the  occasion  might  possibly 
open  the  hand  of  generosity,  looked  in  my  face  and 

* “Praise  be  to  Allah,  Lord  of  the  (three)  worlds P a pious  ejacula- 
tion, which  leaves  the  lips  of  the  True  Believer  on  all  occasions  of  con- 
cluding actions. 


THE  “KAIF.” 


23 


exclaimed,  “ Bakhshish,”*  he  obtained  in  reply  “ Mafish  ;”f 
which  convinced  the  bystanders  that  the  sheep-skin  con- 
tained a real  sheep.  We  then  mounted  a carriage,  fought 
our  way  through  the  donkeys,  and  in  half  an  hour  found 
ourselves,  chibouque  in  mouth  and  coffee-cup  in  hand, 
seated  on  divans  in  my  friend’s  hospitable  house. 

Wonderful  was  the  contrast  between  the  steamer  and 
that  villa  on  the  Mahmudiyah  canal ! Startling  the  sudden 
change  from  presto  to  adagio  lifeU  In  thirteen  days  we 
had  passed  from  the  clammy  grey  fog,  that  atmosphere  of 
industry  which  kept  us  at  an  anchor  off  the  Isle  of  Wight, 
through  the  liveliest  air  of  the  inland  sea,  whose  sparkling 
blue  and  purple  haze  spread  charms  even  on  Africa’s  bel- 
dame features,  and  now  we  were  sitting  silent  and  still,  lis- 
tening to  the  monotonous  melody  of  the  East — the  soft 
night-breeze  wandering  through  starlight  skies  and  tufted 
trees,  with  a voice  of  melancholy  meaning. 

And  this  is  the  Arab’s  Kaif.  The  savoring  of  animal 
existence  ; the  passive  enjoyment  of  mere  sense  ; the  plea- 
sant languor,  the  dreamy  tranquillity,  the  airy  castle-build- 
ing, which  in  Asia  stand  in  lieu  of  the  vigorous,  intensive, 
passionate  life  of  Europe.  It  is  the  result  of  a lively, 
impressible,  excitable  nature,  and  exquisite  sensibility  of 
nerve, — a facility  for  voluptuousness  unknown  to  northern 
regions ; where  happiness  is  placed  in  the  exertion  of  men- 

* “ Bakhshish,”  says  a modern  writer,  “ is  a fee  or  present  which  the 
Arabs  (he  here  means  the  Egyptians,  who  got  the  word  from  the  Per- 
sians through  the  Turks)  claim  on  all  occasions  for  services  you  render 
them,  as  well  as  for  services  they  have  rendered  you.  This  bakhshish, 
in  fact,  is  a sort  of  alms  or  tribute,  which  the  poor  Arab  believes  him- 
self entitled  to  claim  from  every  respectable-looking  person.” 

f Mafish,  “ There  is  none,”  equivalent  to,  “ I have  left  my  purse  at 
home.”  Nothing  takes  the  Oriental  mind  so  much  as  a retort  allitera- 
tive or  jingling. 


24  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINA!!  AND  MECCAH. 

tal  and  physical  powers ; where  niggard  earth  commands 
ceaseless  sweat  of  brow,  and  damp  chill  air  demands  per- 
petual excitement,  exercise,  or  change,  or  adventure,  or 
dissipation,  for  want  of  something  better.  In  the  East, 
man  requires  but  rest  and  shade : upon  the  banks  of  a bub- 
bling stream,  or  under  the  cool  shelter  of  a perfumed  tree, 
he  is  perfectly  happy,  smoking  a pipe,  or  sipping  a cup  of 
coffee,  or  drinking  a glass  of  sherbet,  but,  above  all  things, 
deranging  body  and  mind  as  little  as  possible  ; the  trouble 
of  conversations,  the  displeasures  of  memory,  and  the  vanity 
of  thought  being  the  most  unpleasant  interruptions  to  his 
Kaif.  No  wonder  that  Kaif  is  a word  untranslatable  in 
our  mother-tongue  !* 

The  better  to  blind  the  inquisitive  eyes  of  servants  and 
visitors,  my  friend  lodged  me  in  an  outhouse,  where  I could 
revel  in  the  utmost  freedom  of  life  and  manners.  And 
although  some  Armenian  Dragoman,  a restless  spy  like  all 
his  race,  occasionally  remarked  that  “voila  un  Persan 
diablement  degage,”  none,  except  those  who  were  entrusted 
with  the  secret,  had  any  idea  of  the  part  I was  playing. 
The  domestics,  devout  Moslems,  pronounced  me  to  be  an 
Ajemi,*  a kind  of  Mohammedan,  not  a good  one  like  them- 
selves, but  still,  better  than  nothing.  I lost  no  time  in 
securing  the  assistance  of  a Shaykh,f  and  plunged  once 
more  into  the  intricacies  of  the  Faith,  revived  my  recollec- 
tions of  religious  ablution,  read  the  Koran,  and  again  became 
an  adept  in  the  art  of  prostration.  My  leisure  hours  were 
employed  in  visiting  the  baths  and  coffee-houses,  in  attend- 

* In  a coarser  sense  “kaif”  is  applied  to  all  manner  of  intoxication. 
Sonnini  is  not  wrong  when  he  says,  “ the  Arabs  give  the  name  of  Kaif 
to  the  voluptuous  relaxation,  the  delicious  stupor,  produced  by  the 
smoking  of  hemp.” 

f A Persian  opposed  to  an  Arab. 

X A priest,  elder,  chieftain,  language-master,  <fcc.  &a. 


THE  PILGRIM  “ PRACTISES”  AS  A DOCTOR. 


25 


ing  the  bazaars,  and  in  shopping, — an  operation  which 
hereabouts  consists  of  sitting  upon  a chapman’s  counter, 
smoking,  sipping  coffee,  and  telling  your  beads  the  while,  to 
show  that  you  are  not  of  the  slaves  for  whom  time  is  made ; 
in  fact,  in  pitting  your  patience  against  that  of  your  adversary 
the  shopman. 

Careful  of  graver  matters,  I also  attended  the  mosque, 
and  visited  the  venerable  localities  in  which  modern  Alex- 
andria abounds. 

It  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  the  people  of  Alexandria 
could  look  upon  my  phials  and  pill-boxes,  without  a yearning 
for  their  contents.  An  Indian  doctor,  too,  was  a novelty 
to  them ; Franks  they  despised,  but  a man  who  had  come 
so  far  from  the  West ! Then  there  was  something  infinitely 
seducing  in  the  character  of  a magician,  doctor,  and  fakir, 
each  admirable  of  itself,  thus  combined  to  make  “ great 
medicine.”  Men,  women,  and  children  besieged  my  door, 
by  which  means  I could  see  the  people  face  to  face,  and 
especially  the  fair  sex,  of  which  Europeans,  generally  speak- 
ing, know  only  the  worst  specimens.  Even  respectable 
natives,  after  witnessing  a performance  of  “ Mandal  ” and 
the  Magic  mirror,*  opined  that  the  stranger  was  a holy 
man,  gifted  with  supernatural  powers,  and  knowing  every- 
thing. One  old  person  sent  to  offer  me  his  daughter  in 
marriage ; he  said  nothing  about  dowry,  but  on  this  occasion 
I thought  proper  to  decline  the  honor.  And  a middle-aged 
lady  proffered  me  the  sum  of  100  piastres,  nearly  one  pound 

* Form  of  Oriental  divination  which  owes  its  present  celebrity  in 
Europe  to  Mr.  Lane.  Both  it  and  the  magic  mirror  are  hackneyed  sub- 
jects, but  I have  been  tempted  to  a few  words  concerning  them  in 
another  part  of  this  volume.  Meanwhile  I request  the  reader  not  to 
set  me  down  as  a mere  charlatan  ; medicine  in  the  East  is  so  essentially 
united  with  superstitious  practices,  that  he  who  would  pass  for  an  expert 
practitioner,  must  necessarily  represent  himself  an  “ adept.” 

2 


26 


A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 


sterling,  if  I would  stay  at  Alexandria,  and  superintend  the 
restoration  of  her  blind  eye. 

But  the  reader  must  not  be  led  to  suppose  that  I acted 
“ Carabin,”  or  “ Sangrado,”  without  any  knowledge  of  my 
trade.  From  youth  I have  always  been  a dabbler  in  medi- 
cal and  mystical  study.  Moreover,  the  practice  of  physic  is 
comparatively  easy  amongst  dwellers  in  warm  latitudes, 
uncivilised  people,  where  there  is  not  that  complication  of 
maladies  which  troubles  more  polished  nations.  And  fur- 
ther, what  simplifies  extremely  the  treatment  of  the  sick  in 
these  parts  is,  the  undoubted  periodicity  of  disease,  reducing 
almost  all  to  one  type — ague.*  Many  of  the  complaints  of 
tropical  climates,  as  medical  men  well  know,  display  palpa- 
bly intermittent  symptoms  unknown  to  colder  countries ; 
and  speaking  from  individual  experience,  I may  safely 
assert  that  in  all  cases  of  suffering,  from  a wound  to 
ophthalmia,  this  phenomenon  has  forced  itself  into  my 
notice.  So  much  by  way  of  excuse.  I therefore  considered 
myself  as  well  qualified  for  the  work  as  if  I had  taken  out  a 
buono  per  Pestero  diploma  at  Padua. 

After  a month’s  hard  work  at  Alexandria,  I prepared  to 
assume  the  character  of  a wandering  Dervish,  after  reform- 
ing my  title  from  “ Mirsa  ” f to  “ Shaykh  ” Abdullah.J  A 

* Hence  the  origin,  I believe,  of  the  chronothermal  practice,  a dis- 
covery which  physic  owes  to  Dr.  Dickson. 

\ The  Persian  “ Mister.”  In  future  chapters  the  reader  will  see  the 
uncomfortable  consequences  of  my  having  appeared  in  Egypt  as  a Per- 
sian. Although  I found  out  the  mistake,  and  worked  hard  to  correct 
it,  the  bad  name  stuck  to  me ; bazaar  reports  fly  quicker  and  hit  harder 
than  newspaper  paragraphs. 

J Arab  Christians  sometimes  take  the  name  of  “ Abdullah,”  servant 
of  God — “ which,”  as  a modern  traveller  observes,  “ all  sects  and  religions 
might  be  equally  proud  to  adopt.”  The  Moslem  Prophet  said,  “the 
names  most  approved  of  God  are,  Abdullah,  Abd-el-rahman  (slave  of 
the  compassionate),  and  such  like.” 


A DERVISH’S  THE  SAFEST  DISGUISE. 


2 1 


reverend  man,  whose  name  I do  not  care  to  quote,  some 
time  ago  initiated  me  into  his  order,  the  Kadiriyah,  under 
the  high-sounding  name  of  Bismillah-Shah : * and,  after  a 
due  period  of  probation,  he  graciously  elevated  me  to  the 
proud  position  of  a Murshid  § in  the  mystic  craft.  I was 
therefore  sufficiently  well  acquainted  with  the  tenets  and 
practices  of  these  Oriental  Freemasons.  character  in  the 
Moslem  world  is  so  proper  for  disguise  as  that  of  the  Der- 
vish. It  is  assumed  by  all  ranks,  ages,  and  creeds ; by  the 
nobleman  who  has  been  disgraced  at  court,  and  by  the 
peasant  who  is  too  idle  to  till  the  ground  ; by  Dives,  who  is 
weary  of  life,  and  by  Lazarus,  who  begs  bread  from  door  to 
door.  Further,  the  Dervish  is  allowed  to  ignore  ceremony 
and  politeness,  as  one  who  ceases  to  appear  upon  the  stage 
of  life ; he  may  pray  or  not,  marry  or  remain  single  as  he 
pleases,  be  respectable  in  cloth  of  frieze  as  in  cloth  of  gold, 
and  no  one  asks  him — the  chartered  vagabond — Why  he 
comes  here  ? or  Wherefore  he  goes  there  ? He  may  wend 
his  way  on  foot  alone,  or  ride  his  Arab  steed  followed  by  a 
dozen  servants ; he  is  equally  feared  without  weapons,  as 
swaggering  through  the  streets  armed  to  the  teeth.  The 
more  haughty  and  offensive  he  is  to  the  people,  the  more 
they  respect  him  ; a decided  advantage  to  the  traveller  of 
choleric  temperament.  In  the  hour  of  imminent  danger,  he 
has  only  to  become  a maniac,  and  he  is  safe  ; a madman  in 
the  East,  like  a notable  eccentric  character  in  the  West,  is 
allowed  to  say  or  do  whatever  the  spirit  directs.  Add  to 
this  character  a little  knowledge  of  medicine,  a “ moderate 

. * “ King  in-the-name-of- Allah,”  a kind  of  Oriental  “ Praise-God-Bare- 
bones.”  When  a man  appears  as  a Fakir  or  Dervish,  he  casts  off,  in 
process  of  regeneration,  together  with  other  worldly  sloughs,  his  laical 
name  for  some  brilliant  coat  of  nomenclature  rich  in  religious  promise. 

f A Murshid  is  one  allowed  to  admit  Murids  or  apprentices  into  the 
order. 


28  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINA  H AND  MECCAH, 

skill  in  magic  and  a reputation  for  caring  for  nothing  but 
study  and  books,”  together  with  capital  sufficient  to  save 
you  from  the  chance  of  starving,  and  you  appear  in  the 
East  to  peculiar  advantage.  The  only  danger  of  the 
“ Path  ” * is,  that  the  Dervish’s  ragged  coat  not  unfrequently 
covers  the  cut-throat,  and,  if  seized  in  the  society  of  such  a 
“ brother,”  you  may  reluctantly  become  his  companion, 
under  the  stick  or  on  the  stake.  For  be  it  known,  Der- 
vishes are  of  two  orders,  the  Sharai,  or  those  who  conform 
to  religion,  and  the  Be-Sharai,  or  Luti,  whose  practices  are 
hinted  at  by  their  own  tradition  that  “ he  we  daurna  name  ” 
once  joined  them  for  a week,  but  at  the  end  of  that  time 
left  them  in  dismay,  and  returned  to  whence  he  came. 

* The  Taiikat  or  path,  which  leads,  or  is  supposed  to  lead,  to 
Heaven. 


CHAPTER  II. 


I LEAVE  ALEXANDRIA. 

The  thorough-bred  wanderer’s  idiosyncrasy  I presume  to 
be  a composition  of  what  phrenologists  call  “ inhabitive- 
ness”  and  “ locality”  equally  and  largely  developed.  After 
a long  and  toilsome  march,  weary  of  the  way,  he  drops  into 
the  nearest  place  of  rest  to  become  the  most  domestic 
of  men.  For  a while  he  smokes  the  “ pipe  of  permanence”* 
with  an  infinite  zest ; he  delights  in  various  siestas  during 
the  day,  relishing  withal  a long  sleep  at  night ; he  enjoys 
dining  at  a fixed  dinner  hour,  and  wonders  at  the  demoral- 
isation of  the  mind  which  cannot  find  means  of  excitement 
in  chit-chat  or  small  talk,  in  a novel  or  a newspaper.  But 
soon  the  passive  fit  has  passed  away ; again  a paroxysm  of 
ennui  coming  on  by  slow  degrees,  Yiator  loses  appetite,  he 
walks  about  his  room  all  night,  he  yawns  at  conversations, 
and  a book  acts  upon  him  as  a narcotic.  The  man  wants  to 
wander,  and  he  must  do  so  or  he  shall  die. 

After  about  a month  most  pleasantly  spent  at  Alexandria, 
I perceived  the  approach  of  the  enemy,  and  as  nothing  ham- 

* The  long  pipe  which  at  home  takes  the  place  of  the  shorter  chi- 
bouque used  on  the  road. 


30 


A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 


pered  my  incomings  and  outgoings,  I surrendered.  The 
world  was  “ all  before  me,”  and  there  was  pleasant  excite- 
ment in  plunging  single-handed  into  its  chilling  depths. 
My  Alexandrian  Shaykh,  whose  heart  fell  victim  to  a new 
“ jubbeh,”  which  I had  given  in  exchange  for  his  tattered 
zaabut,*  offered  me,  in  consideration  of  a certain  monthly 
stipend,  the  affections  of  a brother  and  religious  refresh- 
ment, proposing  to  send  his  wife  back  to  her  papa,  and  to 
accompany  me,  in  the  capacity  of  private  chaplain,  to  the 
other  side  of  Kaf.f  I politely  accepted  the  “ Bruder- 
schaft,” but  many  reasons  induced  me  to  decline  his  society 
and  services.  In  the  first  place,  he  spoke  the  detestable 
Egyptian  jargon.  Secondly,  it  was  but  prudent  to  lose  the 
“ spoor”  between  Alexandria  and  Suez.  And,  thirdly,  my 
“ brother”  had  shifting  eyes  (symptoms  of  fickleness),  close 
together  (indices  of  cunning) ; a flat-crowned  head,  and 
large  ill-fitting  lips  ; signs  which  led  me  to  think  lightly  of 
his  honesty,  firmness,  and  courage.  Phrenology  and  phy- 
siognomy, be  it  observed,  disappoint  you  often  amongst 
civilised  people,  the  proper  action  of  whose  brains  and 
features  is  impeded  by  the  external  pressure  of  education, 
accident,  example,  habit,  necessity,  and  what  not.  But  they 
are  tolerably  safe  guides  when  groping  your  way  through  the 
mind  of  man  in  his  natural  state,  a being  of  impulse  in  that 
chrysalis  stage  of  mental  development  which  is  rather 
instinct  than  reason.  But  before  my  departure  there  was 
much  to  be  done. 

* The  jubbeh  is  a long  outer  garment,  generally  of  cloth,  worn  by 
learned  and  respectable  men.  The  zaabut  is  a large  bag-sleeved  black 
or  brown  colored  robe,  made  of  home-spun  woollen,  the  garb  of  the 
peasant,  the  hedge-priest,  and  the  dervish. 

I*  The  mountain  which  encircles  the  globe,  according  to  the  sacred 
geography  of  the  Moslems.  To  “ go  to  Kaf  ” is  equivalent  to  our  “ go 
to  Jericho,”  or — somewhere  else. 


EGYPT’S  “FIRST  STEPS”  IN  CIVILIZATION.  31 

The  land  of  the  Pharaohs  is  becoming  civilised,  and 
unpleasantly  so  ; nothing  can  be  more  uncomfortable  than 
its  present  middle  state,  between  barbarism  and  the  reverse. 
The  prohibition  against  carrying  arms  is  rigid  as  in  Italy ; 
all  “ violence”  is  violently  denounced,  and  beheading  being 
deemed  cruel,  the  most  atrocious  crimes,  as  well  as  those 
small  political  offences,  which  in  the  days  of  the  Mamelukes 
would  have  led  to  a beyship  or  a bow-string,  receive  four- 
fold punishment  by  deportation  to  Faizoghli,  the  local 
Cayenne.  If  you  order  your  peasant  to  be  flogged,  his 
friends  gather  in  threatening  hundreds  at  your  gates ; when 
you  curse  your  boatman,  he  complains  to  your  consul ; the 
dragomans  afflict  you  with  strange  wild  notions  about 
honesty ; a government  order  prevents  you  from  using 
vituperative  language  to  the  “ natives”  in  general ; and  the 
very  donkey  boys  are  becoming  cognisant  of  the  right  of 
man  to  remain  unbastinadoed.  Still  the  old  leaven  remains 
behind : here,  as  elsewhere  in  “ morning-land,”  you  cannot 
hold  your  own  without  employing  your  fists.  The  passport 
system,  now  dying  out  of  Europe,  has  sprung  up,  or  rather 
revived  in  Egypt,  with  peculiar  vigor.  Its  good  effects 
claim  for  it  our  respect ; still  we  cannot  but  lament  its  incon- 
venience. TFe,  I mean  real  Easterns.  As  strangers — even 
those  whose  beards  have  whitened  in  the  land — know  abso- 
lutely nothing  of  what  unfortunate  natives  must  endure,  I 
am  tempted  to  subjoin  a short  sketch  of  my  adventures  in 
search  of  a Tezkireh  at  Alexandria.* 

Through  ignorance  which  might  have  cost  me  dear  but 
for  my  friend’s  weight  with  the  local  authorities,  I had 
neglected  to  provide  myself  with  a passport  in  England, 
and  it  was  not  without  difficulty,  involving  much  unclean 
dressing  and  an  unlimited  expenditure  of  broken  English, 


* A passport  in  this  country  is  called  a Tezkireh. 


32  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

that  I obtained  from  the  consul  at  Alexandria,  a certificate, 
declaring  me  to  be  an  Indo-British  subject  named  Abdullah, 
by  profession  a doctor,  aged  thirty,  and  not  distinguished 
— at  least  so  the  frequent  blanks  seemed  to  denote — by 
any  remarkable  conformation  of  eyes,  nose,  or  cheek.  For 
this  I disbursed  a dollar. 

My  new  passport  would  not  carry  me  without  the  Zabit 
or  Police  Magistrate’s  counter-signature,  said  the  consul. 
Next  day  I went  to  the  Zabit,  who  referred  me  to  the 
Muhafiz  (Governor)  of  Alexandria,  at  whose  gate  I had  the 
honor  of  squatting  at  least  three  hours,  till  a more  compas- 
sionate clerk  vouchsafed  the  information  that  the  proper 
place  to  apply  to  was  the  Diwan  Kharijiyeh  (the  Foreign 
Office).  Thus  a second  day  was  utterly  lost.  On  the 
morning  of  the  third  I started,  as  directed,  for  the  palace, 
which  crowns  the  Headland  of  Figs.  It  is  a huge  and 
couthless  shell  of  building  in  parallelogrammic  form,  con- 
taining all  kinds  of  public  offices  in  glorious  confusion,  look- 
ing with  their  glaring  white-washed  faces  upon  a central 
court,  where  a few  leafless  wind-wrung  trees  seem  strug- 
gling for  the  breath  of  life  in  an  eternal  atmosphere  of 
clay,  dust,  and  sun-blaze. 

The  first  person  I addressed  was  a Kawwas  or  police 
officer,  who,  coiled  comfortably  up  in  a bit  of  shade  fitting 
his  person  like  a robe,  was  in  full  enjoyment  of  the  Asiatic 
“Kaif.”  Having  presented  the  consular  certificate  and 
briefly  stated  the  nature  of  my  business,  I ventured  to  in- 
quire what  was  the  right  course  to  pursue  for  a visa. 

They  have  little  respect  for  Dervishes,  it  appears,  at 
Alexandria ! 

M’adri — “ Don’t  know,”  growled  the  man  of  authority, 
without  moving  any  thing  but  the  quantity  of  tongue  ne- 
cessary for  articulation. 

Now  there  are  three  ways  of  treating  Asiatic  officials, — 


ASIATIC  OFFICIALS. 


33 


by  bribe,  by  bullying,  or  by  bothering  them  with  a dogged 
perseverance  into  attending  to  you  and  your  concerns. 
The  latter  is  the  peculiar  province  of  the  poor ; moreover, 
this  time  I resolved,  for  other  reasons,  to  be  patient.  I 
repeated  my  question  in  almost  the  same  words.  Ruh ! 
“ Be  off,”  was  what  I obtained  for  all  reply.  But  this  time 
the  questioned  went  so  far  as  to  open  his  eyes.  Still  I stood 
twirling  the  paper  in  my  hands,  and  looking  very  humble 
and  very  persevering,  till  a loud  Ruh  ya  Kalb ! “ Go  O 
dog !”  converted  into  a responsive  curse  the  little  speech  I 
was  preparing  about  the  brotherhood  of  El-Islam  and  the 
mutual  duties  obligatory  on  true  believers.  I then  turned 
away  slowly  and  fiercely,  for  the  next  thing  might  have 
been  a cut  with  the  Kurbaj,*  and,  by  the  hammer  of  Thor! 
British  flesh  and  blood  could  never  have  stood  that. 

After  which  satisfactory  scene, — for  satisfactory  it  was 
in  one  sense,  proving  the  complete  fitness  of  the  Dervish’s 
dress, — I tried  a dozen  other  promiscuous  sources  of  informa- 
tion,— policemen,  grooms,  scribes,  donkey  boys,  and  idlers 
in  general.  At  length,  wearied  of  patience,  I offered  a 
soldier  some  pinches  of  tobacco,  and  promised  him  an 
oriental  sixpence  if  he  would  manage  the  business  for  me. 
The  man  was  interested  by  the  tobacco  and  the  pence ; he 
took  my  hand,  and  inquiring  the  while  he  went  along,  led 
me  from  place  to  place,  till,  mounting  a grand  staircase,  I 
stood  in  the  presence  of  Abbas  Effendi,  the  governor’s 
Naib  or  deputy. 

It  was  a little,  whey-faced,  black-bearded  Turk,  coiled 
up  in  the  usual  conglomerate  posture  upon  a calico-covered 
divan,  at  the  end  of  a long  bare  large-windowed  room. 
Without  deigning  even  to  nod  the  head,  which  hung  over 

* A whip  of  dried  and  twisted  hippopotamus  hide,  the  ferule,  horse- 
whip, and  “cat’  o’  nine  tails”  of  Egypt. 

2* 


34  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

his  shoulder  with  transcendent  listlessness  and  affectation 
of  pride,  in  answer  to  my  salams  and  benedictions,  he  eyed 
me  with  wicked  eyes,  and  faintly  ejaculated  uMin  ent?”  * 
Then  hearing  that  I was  a Dervish  and  doctor — he  must  be 
an  Osmanli  Voltairian,  that  little  Turk — the  official  snorted 
a contemptuous  snort.  He  condescendingly  added,  how- 
ever, that  the  proper  source  to  seek  was  “ Taht,”  which 
meaning  simply  “ below,”  conveyed  rather  imperfect 
information  in  a topographical  point  of  view  to  a stran- 
ger. 

At  length,  however,  my  soldier  guide  found  out  that  a 
room  in  the  custom-house  bore  the  honorable  appellation 
of  “ Foreign  Office.”  Accordingly  I went  there,  and,  after 
sitting  at  least  a couple  of  hours  at  the  bolted  door  in  the 
noon-day  sun,  was  told,  with  a fury  which  made  me  think 
I had  sinned,  that  the  officer  in  whose  charge  the  depart- 
ment was,  had  been  presented  with  an  olive  branch  in  the 
morning,  and  consequently  that  business  was  not  to  be 
done  that  day.  The  angry-faced  official  communicated  the 
intelligence  to  a large  group  of  Anadolian,  Caramanian, 
Boshniac,  and  Roumelian  Turks, — sturdy,  undersized,  broad- 
shouldered,  bare-legged,  splay-footed,  horny-fisted,  dark- 
browed,  honest-looking  mountaineers,  who  were  lounging 
about  with  long  pistols  and  yataghans  stuck  m their  broad 
sashes,  head-gear  composed  of  immense  tarbooshes  with 
proportionate  turbans  coiled  round  them,  and  two  or  three 
suits  of  substantial  clothes,  even  at  this  season  of  the  year, 
upon  their  shoulders. 

Like  myself  they  had  waited  some  hours,  but  they  were 
not  patient  under  disappointment:  they  bluntly  told  the 
angry  official  that  he  and  his  master  were  a pair  of  idlers, 
and  the  curses  that  rumbled  and  gurgled  in  their  hairy 


♦ For  “man  anta?”  who  art  thou? 


REASONS  FOR  ASSUMING  THE  DISGUISE. 


35 


throats  as  they  strode  towards  the  door,  sounded  like  the 
growling  of  wild  beasts. 

Thus  was  another  day  truly  orientally  lost.  On  the 
morrow,  however,  I obtained  permission,  in  the  character 
of  Dr.  Abdullah,  to  visit  any  part  of  Egypt  I pleased,  and 
to  retain  possession  of  my  dagger  and  pistols. 

And  now  I must  explain  what  induced  me  to  take  so 
much  trouble  about  a passport.  The  home  reader  naturally 
inquires,  why  not  travel  under  your  English  name  ? 

For  this  reason.  In  the  generality  of  barbarous 
countries  you  must  either  proceed,  like  Bruce,  preserving 
the  “dignity  of  manhood,”  and  carrying  matters  with  a 
high  hand,  or  you  must  worm  your  way  by  timidity  and 
subservience  ; in  fact,  by  becoming  an  animal  too  contempt- 
ible for  man  to  let  or  injure.  But  to  pass  through  the 
Holy  Land,  you  must  either  be  a born  believer,  or  have 
become  one  ; in  the  former  case  you  may  demean  yourself 
as  you  please,  in  the  latter  a path  is  ready  prepared  for  you. 
My  spirit  could  not  bend  to  own  myself  a renegade — to  be 
pointed  at  and  shunned  and  catechised,  an  object  of  sus- 
picion to  the  many  and  of  contempt  to  all.  Moreover,  it 
would  have  obstructed  the  aim  of  my  wanderings.  The 
convert  is  always  watched  with  Argus  eyes,  and  men  do 
not  willingly  give  information  to  a “ new  Moslem,”  especially 
a Frank:  they  suspect  his  conversion  to  be  a feigned  or 
forced  one,  look  upon  him  as  a spy,  and  let  him  see  as  little 
of  life  as  possible.  Firmly  as  was  my  heart  set  upon  travel- 
ling in  Arabia,  by  Heaven!  I would  have  given  up  the 
dear  project  rather  than  purchase  a doubtful  and  partial 
success  at  such  a price.  Consequently,  I had  nq  choice  but 
to  appear  as  a born  believer,  and  part  of  my  birthright  in 
that  respectable  character  was  toil  and  trouble  in  obtaining 
a tezkirah. 

Then  I had  to  provide  myself  with  certain  necessaries 


36  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

for  the  way.  These  were  not  numerous.  The  silver- 
mounted  dressing-case  is  here  supplied  by  a rag  containing 
a miswak,*  a bit  of  soap  and  a comb  (wooden),  for  bone 
and  tortoiseshell  are  not,  religiously  speaking,  correct. 
Equally  simple  was  my  wardrobe ; a change  or  two  of 
clothing.f  The  only  article  of  canteen  description  was  a 
zemzemiyah,  a goat-skin  water-bag,  which  communicates  to 
its  contents,  especially  when  new,  a ferruginous  aspect  and 
a wholesome,  though  hardly  an  attractive  flavor  of  tanno- 
gelatine.  This  was  a necessary ; to  drink  out  of  a tumbler, 
possibly  fresh  from  pig-eating  lips,  would  have  entailed  a 
certain  loss  of  reputation.  For  bedding  and  furniture  I had 
a coarse  Persian  rug — which,  besides  being  couch,  acts  as 
chair,  table,  and  oratory — a cotton  stuffed  chintz-covered 
pillow,  a blanket  in  case  of  cold,  and  a sheet,  which  does 
duty  for  tent  and  mosquito  curtains  in  nights  of  heat.J  As 
shade  is  a convenience  not  always  procurable,  another  neces- 
sary was  a huge  cotton  umbrella  of  Eastern  make,  brightly 
yellow,  suggesting  the  idea  of  an  overgrown  marigold.  I 
had  also  a substantial  housewife,  the  gift  of  a kind  friend  ; 
it  was  a roll  of  canvas,  carefully  soiled,  and  garnished  with 

* A stick  of  soft  wood  chewed  at  one  end.  It  is  generally  used 
throughout  the  East,  where  brushes  should  be  avoided,  as  the  natives 
always  suspect  hogs’  bristles. 

f It  is  a great  mistake  to  carry  too  few  clothes,  and  those  who  travel 
as  Orientals  should  always  have  at  least  one  very  grand  suit  for  use 
on  critical  occasions.  Throughout  the  East  a badly  dressed  man  is  a 
pauper,  and  a pauper — unless  he  belongs  to  an  order  having  a right  to 
be  poor — is  a scoundrel. 

\ Almost  all  Easterns  sleep  under  a sheet,  which  becomes  a kind  of 
respirator,  defending  them  from  the  dews  and  mosquitoes  by  night  and 
the  flies  by  day.  The  “ rough  and  ready  ” traveller  will  learn  to  follow 
the  example,  remembering  that  “ nature  is  founder  of  customs  in  savage 
countries ; ” whereas,  amongst  the  soi-disant  civilized,  nature  has  no 
deadlier  enemy  than  custom. 


THE  PILGRIM’S  WARDROBE  AND  OUTFIT. 


37 


needles  and  thread,  cobblers’-wax,  buttons,  and  other  such 
articles.  These  things  were  most  useful  in  lands  where 
tailors  abound  not ; besides  which,  the  sight  of  a man  darn- 
ing his  coat  or  patching  his  slippers  teems  with  pleasing 
ideas  of  humility.  A dagger,  a brass  inkstand,  and  pen- 
holder stuck  in  my  belt,  and  a mighty  rosary,  which  on 
occasion  might  have  been  converted  into  a weapon  of  offence, 
completed  my  equipment.  I must  not  omit  to  mention  the 
proper  method  of  carrying  money,  which  in  these  lands 
should  never  be  entrusted  to  box  or  bag.  A common  cot- 
ton purse  secured  in  a breast  pocket  (for  Egypt  now 
abounds  in  that  civilized  animal  the  pickpocket),  contained 
silver  pieces  and  small  change.  My  gold,  of  which  I carried 
twenty-five  sovereigns,  and  papers,  were  committed  to  a 
substantial  leathern  belt  of  Maghrabi  manufacture,  made  to 
be  strapped  round  the  waist  under  the  dress.  This  is  the 
Asiatic  method  of  concealing  valuables,  and  a more  civilized 
one  than  ours  in  the  last  century,  when  Roderic  Random 
and  his  companion  “ sewed  their  money  between  the  lining 
and  the  waistband  of  their  breeches,  except  some  loose 
silver  for  immediate  expense  on  the  road.”  The  great  in- 
convenience of  the  belt  is  its  weight,  especially  where  dollars 
must  be  carried,  as  in  Arabia,  causing  chafes  and  inconveni- 
ence at  night.  Moreover,  it  can  scarcely  be  called  safe.  In 
dangerous  countries  wary  travellers  will  adopt  surer  pre- 
cautions.* 

A pair  of  common  native  khurjin  or  saddle-bags  contained 
my  wardrobe,  the  “ bed,”  readily  rolled  up  into  a bundle, 

* Some  prefer  a long  chain  of  pure  gold  divided  into  links  and 
covered  with  leather,  so  as  to  resemble  the  twisted  girdle  which  the  Arab 
fastens  round  his  waist.  It  is  a precaution  well  known  to  the  wandering 
knights  of  old.  Others,  again,  in  very  critical  situations,  open  with  a 
lancet  the  shoulder,  or  any  other  fleshy  part  of  the  body,  and  insert  a 
precious  stone,  which  does  not  show  in  its  novel  purse. 


38 


A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 


and  for  a medicine  chest  * I bought  a pea-green  box  with 
red  and  yellow  flowers,  capable  of  standing  falls  from  a 
camel  twice  a day. 

The  next  step  was  to  find  out  when  the  local  steamer 
would  start  for  Cairo,  and  accordingly  I betook  myself  to 
the  Transit  Office.  No  vessel  was  advertised ; I was 
directed  to  call  every  evening  till  satisfied.  At  last  the 
fortunate  event  took  place.  A “ weekly  departure,”  which, 
by  the  by,  occurred  once  every  fortnight  or  so,  was  in 
order  for  the  next  day.  I hurried  to  the  office,  but  did  no*, 
reach  it  till  past  noon — the  hour  of  idleness.  A little,  dark 
gentleman,  so  formed  and  dressed  as  exactly  to  resemble  a 
liver-and-tan  bull-terrier,  who,  with  his  heels  on  the  table, 
was  dozing,  cigar  in  mouth,  over  the  last  “Galignani,” 
positively  refused,  after  a time — for  at  first  he  would  not 
speak  at  all — to  let  me  take  my  passage  till  three  in  the 

* Any  “ Companion  to  the  Medicine  Chest  ” will  give,  to  those  that 
require  such  information,  the  names  of  drugs  and  instruments  necessary 
for  a journey : but  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  hot  countries  require 
double  quantities  of  tonics,  and  half  the  allowance  of  cathartics,  neces- 
sary in  cold  climates.  Sonnini,  however,  is  right  when  he  says  of  the 
Egyptian  fellahs,  that  their  stomachs,  accustomed  to  digest  bread  badly 
baked,  acrid  and  raw  vegetables,  and  other  green  and  unwholesome 
nourishment,  require  doses  fit  only  for  horses. 

Advisable  precautions  are,  in  the  first  place,  to  avoid,  if  travelling 
as  a native,  any  signs  of  European  manufacture  in  knives,  scissors, 
weights,  scales,  and  other  such  articles.  Secondly,  glass  bottles  are  use- 
less ; the  drugs  should  be  stowed  away  in  tin  or  wooden  boxes,  such  as 
the  natives  of  the  country  use,  and  when  a phial  is  required  it  must  be 
fitted  into  an  etui  of  some  kind.  By  this  means,  ground  glass  stoppers, 
and  plentiful  cotton  stuffing,  the  most  volatile  essences  may  be  carried 
about  without  great  waste.  After  six  months  of  the  driest  heat  in 
Egypt  and  Arabia,  not  more  than  about  one-fourth  of  my  Prussic  acid 
and  chloroform  had  evaporated.  And,  thirdly,  if  you  travel  in  the 
East,  a few  bottles  of  tincture  of  cantharides — highly  useful  as  a rubefa- 
cient, excitant,  et  cetera — must  never  be  omitted. 


INDIAN  STYLE  OF  DOING  BUSINESS. 


39 


afternoon.  I inquired  when  the  boat  started,  upon  which 
he  referred  me,  as  I had  spoken  bad  Italian,  to  the  adver- 
tisement. I pleaded  inability  to  read  or  write,  whereupon 
he  testily  cried,  “ Alle  novel  alle  novel” — at  nine!  at 
nine  1 Still  appearing  uncertain,  I drove  him  out  of  his 
chair,  when  he  rose  with  a curse,  and  read  8 a.  m.  An 
unhappy  Eastern,  depending  upon  what  he  said,  would 
have  been  precisely  one  hour  too  late. 

Thus  were  we  lapsing  into  the  real  good  old  Indian 
style  of  doing  business.  Thus  Indicus  orders  his  first  clerk 
to  execute  some  commission ; the  senior,  having  “ work” 
upon  his  hands,  sends  a junior ; the  junior  finds  the  sun 
hot,  and  passes  on  the  word  to  a “ peon ;”  the  “ peon” 
charges  a porter  with  the  errand,  and  the  porter  quietly 
sits  or  dozes  in  his  place,  trusting  that  fate  will  bring  him 
out  of  the  scrape,  but  firmly  resolved,  though  the  shattered 
globe  fall,  not  to  stir  an  inch. 

The  reader,  I must  again  express  a hope,  will  pardon 
the  egotism  of  these  descriptions — my  object  is  to  show 
him  how  business  is  carried  on  in  these  hot  countries, 
business  generally.  For  had  I,  instead  of  being  Abdullah 
the  Dervish,  been  a rich  native  merchant,  it  would  have 
been  the  same.  How  many  complaints  of  similar  treatment 
have  I heard  in  different  parts  of  the  Eastern  world  1 and 
how  little  can  one  realise  them  without  having  actually 
experienced  the  evil  1 For  the  future,  I shall  never  see  a 
“ nigger”  squatting  away  half  a dozen  mortal  hours  in  a 
broiling  sun,  patiently  waiting  for  something  or  for  some 
one,  without  a lively  remembrance  of  my  own  cooling  of 
the  calces  at  the  custom-house  of  Alexandria. 

At  length,  about  the  end  of  May,  all  was  ready.  Not 
without  a feeling  of  regret  I left  my  little  room  among  the 
white  myrtle  blossoms  and  the  oleander  flowers.  I kissed, 
with  humble  ostentation,  my  kind  host’s  hand,  in  presence 


40  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

of  his  servants,  bade  adieu  to  my  patients,  who  now 
amounted  to  about  fifty,  shaking  hands  with  all  meekly  and 
with  religious  equality  of  attention,  and,  mounted  in  a 
“ trap”  which  looked  like  a cross  between  a wheelbarrow 
and  a dog-cart,  drawn  by  a kicking,  jibbing,  and  biting 
mule,  I set  out  for  the  steamer. 


CHAPTER  III. 


THE  NILE  STEAMBOAT. 

In  the  days  of  the  Pitts  we  have  invariably  a “ Relation” 
of  Egyptian  travellers  who  embark  for  a place  called 
“Roseet,”  on  the  “ River  Nilus.”  Wanderers  of  the  Bru- 
cian  age  were  wont  to  record  their  impressions  of  voyage 
upon  land  subjects  observed  between  Alexandria  and 
Cairo.  A little  later  we  find  every  one  inditing  rhapsodies 
about,  and  descriptions  of,  his  or  her  dahabiyeh  (barge)  on 
the  canal.  After  this  came  the  steamer.  And  after  the 
steamer  will  come  the  railroad,  which  may  disappoint  the 
author  tourist,  but  will  be  delightful  to  that  sensible  class 
of  men  who  wish  to  get  over  the  greatest  extent  of  ground 
with  the  least  inconvenience  to  themselves  and  others. 
Then  shall  the  Mahmudiyah — ugliest  and  most  wearisome 
of  canals — be  given  up  to  cotton  boats  and  grain  barges, 
and  then  will  note-books  and  the  headings  of  chapters 
ignore  its  existence. 

I saw  the  canal  at  its  worst,  when  the  water  was  low, 
and  have  not  one  syllable  to  say  in  its  favor.  Instead  of 
thirty  hours,  we  took  three  mortal  days  and  nights  to 
reach  Cairo,  and  we  grounded  with  painful  regularity  four 


42 


A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 


or  five  times  between  sunrise  and  sunset.  In  the  scenery 
on  the  banks  sketchers  and  describers  have  left  you  nought 
to  see.  The  Pyramids  of  Cheops  and  Cephren,  “ rearing 
their  majestic  heads  above  the  margin  of  the  desert,”  only 
suggest  the  remark  that  they  have  been  remarkably  well- 
sketched  ; and  thus  you  proceed  till  with  a real  feeling  of 
satisfaction  you  moor  alongside  of  the  tumble-down  old 
suburb  Bulak. 

I had  taken  a third-class  or  deck  passage,  whereby  the 
evils  of  the  journey  were  exasperated.  A roasting  sun 
pierced  the  canvas  awning  like  hot  water  through  a gauze 
veil,  and  by  night  the  cold  dews  fell  raw  and  thick  as  a 
Scotch  mist.  The  cooking  was  abominable,  and  the  dignity 
of  Dervish-hood  did  not  allow  me  to  sit  at  meat  with 
infidels,  or  to  eat  the  food  they  had  polluted.  So  the  Der- 
vish squatted  apart,  smoking  perpetually,  with  occasional 
interruptions  to  say  his  prayers  and  to  tell  his  beads  upon 
the  mighty  rosary,  and  he  drank  the  muddy  water  of  the 
canal  out  of  a leathern  bucket,  and  he  munched  his  bread 
and  garlic*  with  a desperate  sanctimoniousness. 

* Those  skilled  in  simples,  Eastern  as  well  as  Western,  praise  garlic 
highly,  declaring  that  it  “ strengthens  the  body,  prepares  the  constitu- 
tion for  fatigue,  brightens  the  sight,  and,  by  increasing  the  digestive 
power,  obviates  the  ill  effects  arising  from  sudden  change  of  air  and 
water.”  The  old  Egyptians  highly  esteemed  this  vegetable,  which, 
with  onions  and  leeks,  enters  into  the  list  of  articles  so  much  regretted 
by  the  Hebrews  (Numbers,  xi.  5 ; Koran,  Chap.  2).  The  modern 
people  of  the  Nile,  like  the  Spaniards,  delight  in  onions,  which,  as  they 
contain  between  25  and  30  per  cent,  of  gluten,  are  highly  nutritive. 
In  Arabia,  however,  the  stranger  must  use  this  vegetable  sparingly. 
The  city  people  despise  it  as  the  food  of  a fellah — a boor.  The  Wah- 
habis have  a prejudice  against  onions,  leeks,  and  garlic,  because  the 
Prophet  disliked  their  strong  smell,  and  all  strict  Moslems  refuse  to 
eat  them  immediately  before  visiting  the  mosque  or  meeting  for  public 
prayer 


THE  SCENE  ON  BOARD  THE  NILE  STEAMER. 


43 


The  “ Little  Asthmatic,”  as  the  steamer  is  called,  was 
crowded,  and  discipline  not  daring  to  mark  out  particular 
places,  the  scene  on  board  of  her  was  a motley  one.  There 
were  two  Indian  officers,  who  naturally  spoke  to  none  but 
each  other,  drank  bad  tea,  and  smoked  their  cigars  like 
Britons.  A troop  of  the  Kurd  Kawwas,  escorting  treasure, 
was  surrounded  by  a group  of  noisy  Greeks ; these  men’s 
gross  practical  jokes  sounding  anything  but  pleasant  to  the 
solemn  Moslems,  whose  saddle-bags  and  furniture  were  at 
every  moment  in  danger  of  being  defiled  by  abominable 
drinks  and  the  ejected  juices  of  tobacco.  There  was  one 
pretty  woman  on  board,  a Spanish  girl,  who  looked  strangely 
misplaced — a rose  in  a field  of  thistles.  Some  silent  Italians, 
with  noisy  interpreters,  sat  staidly  upon  the  benches.  It 
was  soon  found  out,  through  the  communicative  dragoman, 
that  their  business  was  to  buy  horses  for  H.  M.  of  Sardinia : 
they  were  exposed  to  a volley  of  questions  delivered  by  a 
party  of  French  tradesmen  returning  to  Cairo,  but  they 
shielded  themselves  and  fought  shy  with  Machiavellian 
dexterity.  Besides  these  was  a German — a “ beer-bottle  in 
the  morning  and  a bottle  of  beer  in  the  evening,”  to  bor- 
row a simile  from  his  own  nation — a Syrian  merchant,  the 
richest  and  ugliest  of  Alexandria,  and  a few  French  house- 
painters  going  to  decorate  the  Pacha’s  palace  at  Shoobra. 
These  last  were  the  happiest  of  our  voyagers, — veritable 
children  of  Paris,  Montagnards,  Yoltairiens,  and  thorough- 
bred Sans-Soucis.  All  day  they  sat  upon  deck  chattering 
as  only  their  lively  nation  can  chatter,  indulging  in  ultra- 
gallic maxims,  then  singing,  then  dancing,  then  sleeping 
and  rising  to  play,  to  drink,  talk,  dance,  and  sing  again. 
They  being  new  comers,  free  from  the  western  morgue  so 
soon  caught  by  Oriental  Europeans,  were  particularly 
civil  to  me,  even  wishing  to  mix  me  a strong  draught;  but 
I was  not  so  fortunate  with  all  on  board.  A large  shop- 


44  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

keeper  threatened  to  u briser ” my  “ figure”  for  putting  my 
pipe  near  his  “ pantaloons ; but  seeing  me  finger  my  dagger 
curiously,  though  I did  not  shift  my  pipe,  he  forgot  to 
remember  his  threat.  I had  taken  charge  of  a parcel  for 

one  M.  P , a student  of  Coptic,  and  remitted  it  to  him 

on  board ; of  this  little  service  the  only  acknowledgment 
was  a stare  and  a petulant  inquiry  why  I had  not  given  it 
to  him  before.  And  one  of  the  Englishmen,  half  publicly, 
half  privily,  as  though  communing  with  himself,  condemned 
my  organs  of  vision  because  I happened  to  touch  his  elbow. 
He  was  a man  in  my  own  service ; I pardoned  him  in  con- 
sideration of  the  compliment  paid  to  my  disguise. 

Two  fellow-passengers  were  destined  to  play  an  impor- 
tant part  in  my  comedy  of  Cairo.  Just  after  we  had  started, 
a little  event  afforded  us  some  amusement.  On  the  bank 
appeared  a short,  fat,  pursy  kind  of  man,  whose  efforts  to 
board  the  steamer  were  notably  ridiculous.  With  attention 
divided  between  the  vessel  and  a carpet  bag  carried  by  his 
donkey  boy,  he  ran  along  the  sides  of  the  canal,  now  stum- 
bling into  hollows,  then  climbing  heights,  then  standing 
shouting  upon  the  projections  with  the  fierce  sun  upon  his 
back,  till  every  one  thought  his  breath  was  completely  gone. 
But  no ! game  to  the  backbone,  he  would  have  perished 
miserably  rather  than  lose  his  fare : “ perseverance,”  say 
the  copy-books,  “ accomplishes  great  things :”  at  last  he  was 
taken  on  board*  and  presently  he  lay  down  to  sleep.  His 
sooty  complexion,  lank  black  hair,  features  in  which  appeared 
beaucoup  de  finesse , that  is  to  say,  abundant  rascality,  an 
eternal  smile  and  treacherous  eyes,  his  gold*  ring,  dress  of 
showy  colors,  fleshy  stomach,  fat  legs,  round  back,  and  a 
peculiar  manner  of  frowning  and  fawning  simultaneously, 

* The  stricter  sort  of  Moslems,  such  as  the  Arabs,  will  not  wear  gold 
ornaments,  which  are  forbidden  by  their  law. 


ARRIVAL  AT  BULAK. 


45 


marked  him  an  Indian.  When  he  awoke  he  introduced  him- 
self to  me  as  Miyan  Khudabakhsh  Namdar,  a native  of 
Lahore:  he  carried  on  the  trade  of  a shawl  merchant  in 
London  and  Paris,  where  he  lived  two  years,  and  after  a 
pilgrimage  intended  to  purge  away  the  sins  of  civilized  lands, 
had  settled  at  Cairo. 

My  second  friend,  Haji  Wali,  I will  introduce  to  the 
reader  in  a future  chapter. 

Long  conversations  in  Persian  and  Hindostani,  abridged 
the  tediousness  of  the  voyage,  and  when  we  arrived  at  Bulak, 
the  polite  Khudabakhsh  insisted  on  my  making  his  house  my 
home.  I was  unwilling  to  accept  the  man’s  civility,  disliking 
his  looks,  but  he  advanced  cogent  reasons  for  changing  my 
mind.  His  servants  cleared  my  luggage  through  the  cus- 
tom-house, and  a few  minutes  after  our  arrival  I found  my. 
self  in  his  abode  near  the  Ezbekiyah  Gardens,  sitting  in 
a cool  mashrabiyah  * that  gracefully  projected  over  a 
garden,  and  sipping  the  favorite  glass  of  pomegranate 
syrup. 

As  the  wakalahs  or  caravanserais  were  at  that  time  full 
of  pilgrims,  I remained  with  Khudabakhsh  ten  days  or  a 
fortnight.  But  at  the  end  of  that  time,  my  patience  was 
thoroughly  exhausted.  My  host  had  become  a civilized 
man,  who  sat  on  chairs,  ate  with  a fork,  talked  European 
politics,  and  had  learned  to  admire,  if  not  to  understand 
liberty — liberal  ideas ! and  was  I not  flying  from  such  things  ? 
Besides  which,  we  English  have  a peculiar  national  quality, 
which  the  Indians,  with  their  characteristic  acuteness,  soon 
perceived,  and  described  by  an  opprobrious  name.  Observ- 
ing our  solitary  habits,  that  we  could  not  and  would  not, 

* The  projecting  latticed  window,  made  of  wood  richly  carved,  for 
which  Cairo  was  once  so  famous.  But  they  are  growing  out  of  fashion 
with  >ung  Egypt,  disappearing  before  glass  and  unsightly  green  blinds. 


46  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

sit  and  talk  and  sip  sherbet  and  smoke  with  them,  they 
called  us  “ Jungli” — wild  men,  fresh  caught  in  the  jungle 
and  sent  to  rule  over  the  land  of  Hind.*  Certainly  nothing 
suits  us  less  than  perpetual  society,  an  utter  want  of  solitude, 
when  one  cannot  retire  into  oneself  an  instant  without  being 
asked  some  puerile  question  by  a friend,  or  look  into  a book 
without  a servant  peering  over  one’s  shoulder ; when  from 
the  hour  you  rise  to  the  time  you  rest,  you  must  ever  be 
talking  or  listening,  you  must  converse  yourself  to  sleep  in 
a public  dormitory,  and  give  ear  to  your  companions’  snores 
and  mutterings  at  midnight.f 

The  very  essence  of  Oriental  hospitality,  however,  is 
this  family  style  of  reception,  which  costs  your  host  neither 
coin  nor  trouble.  You  make  one  more  at  his  eating  tray, 
and  an  additional  mattress  appears  in  the  sleeping  room. 
When  you  depart,  you  leave  if  you  like  a little  present, 
merely  for  a memorial,  with  your  entertainer  ; he  would  be 
offended  if  you  offered  it  him  openly  as  a remuneration, J 
and  you  give  some  trifling  sums  to  the  servants.  Thus  you 
will  be  welcome  wherever  you  go.  If  perchance  you  are 


* Caste  in  India  arises  from  the  peculiarly  sociable  nature  of  the 
native  mind,  for  which  reason  “ it  is  found  existing  among  sects  whose 
creeds  are  as  different  and  as  opposite  as  those  of  the  Hindoo  and  the 
Christian.”  Hence,  nothing  can  be  more  terrible  to  a man  than  expul- 
sion from  caste ; the  excommunication  of  our  feudal  times  was  not  a more 
dreadful  form  of  living  death. 

f With  us,  every  man’s  house  is  his  castle.  But  caste  divides  a 
people  into  huge  families,  each  member  of  which  has  a right  to  know 
every  thing  about  his  “ caste-brother,”  because  a whole  body  might  be 
polluted  and  degraded  by  the  act  of  an  individual.  Hence  there  is  no 
such  thing  as  domestic  privacy,  and  no  system  of  espionage  devised  by 
rulers  could  be  so  complete  as  that  self-imposed  by  the  Hindoos. 

\ I speak  of  the  rare  tracts  in  which  the  old  barbarous  hospitality 
still  lingers. 


THE  LAWS  OF  HOSPITALITY. 


47 


detained  perforce  in  such  a situation, — which  may  easily 
happen  to  you,  medical  man, — you  have  only  to  make  your- 
self as  disagreeable  as  possible,  by  calling  for  all  manner  of 
impossible  things.  Shame  is  a passion  with  Eastern  nations. 
Your  host  would  blush  to  point  out  to  you  the  indecorum 
of  your  conduct;  and  the  laws  of  hospitality  oblige  him 
to  supply  the  every  want  of  a guest,  even  though  he  be  a 
detenu . 


CHAPTER  IV. 


LIFE  IK  THE  WAKALAH. 

The  “wakalah,”  as  the  caravanserai  or  khan  is  called  in 
Egypt,  combines  the  offices  of  hotel,  lodging  house,  and 
store.  It  is  at  Cairo,  as  at  Constantinople,  a massive  pile 
of  buildings  surrounding  a quadrangular  “ hosh  ” or  court- 
yard. On  the  ground-floor  are  rooms  like  caverns  for  mer- 
chandise, and  shops  of  different  kinds — tailors,  cobblers, 
bakers,  tobacconists,  fruiterers,  and  others.  A roofless 
gallery  or  a covered  verandah,  into  which  all  the  apart- 
ments open,  runs  round  the  first  and  sometimes  the  second 
story:  the  latter,  however,  is  usually  exposed  to  the  sun 
and  wind.  The  accommodations  consist  of  sets  of  two  or 
three  rooms,  generally  an  inner  one  and  an  outer;  this 
contains  a hearth  for  cooking,  a bathing  place,  and  similar 
necessaries.  The  staircases  are  high,  narrow,  and  exceed- 
ingly dirty,  dark  at  night  and  often  in  bad  repair ; a goat 
or  dcnkey  is  tethered  upon  the  different  landings;  here 
and  there  a fresh  skin  is  stretched  in  process  of  tanning, 
and  the  smell  reminds  the  veteran  traveller  of  those  closets 
in  the  old  French  inns  where  cats  used  to  be  prepared  for 
playing  the  part  of  jugged  hare.  The  interior  is  unfur- 


LIFE  IN  THE  WAKALAH. 


49 


nished;  *wen  the  pegs  upon  which  clothes  are  hung  have 
been  pulled  down  for  firewood : the  walls  are  bare  but  for 
stains,  thick  cobwebs  depend  in  festoons  from  the  black- 
ened rafters  of  the  ceiling,  and  the  stone  floor  would  dis- 
grace a civilised  prison  : the  windows  are  huge  apertures 
carefully  barred  with  wood  or  iron,  and  in  rare  places 
show  remains  of  glass  or  paper  pasted  over  the  frame- 
works. In  the  court-yard  the  poorer  sort  of  travellers 
consort  with  tethered  beasts  of  burden,  beggars  howl, 
and  the  slaves  lie  basking  and  scratching  themselves 
upon  mountainous  heaps  of  cotton  bales  and  other  mer- 
chandise. 

This  is  not  a tempting  picture,  yet  is  the  wakalah  a most 
amusing  place,  presenting  a succession  of  scenes  which  would 
delight  lovers  of  the  Dutch  school — a rich  exemplification 
of  the  grotesque,  and  what  is  called  by  our  artists  the 
“ dirty  picturesque.” 

I could  find  no  room  in  the  Wakalah  Khan  Khalil,  (the 
Long’s,  or  Meurice’s,  of  native  Cairo,)  I was  therefore 
obliged  to  put  up  with  the  Jemaliyah,  the  Greek  quarter, 
a place  swarming  with  drunken  Christians,  and  therefore 
not  altogether  fashionable.  Even  for  this  I had  to  wait  a 
week.  The  pilgrims  were  flocking  to  Cairo,  and  to  none 
other  would  the  prudent  hotel  keepers  open  their  doors, 
for  the  following  sufficient  reasons.  When  you  enter  a wa- 
kalah the  first  thing  you  have  to  do  is  to  pay  a small  sum, 
varying  from  two  to  five  shillings,  for  the  miftah  (the  key). 
This  is  generally  equivalent  to  a month’s  rent,  so  the  sooner 
you  leave  the  house  the  better  for  it.  I was  obliged  to  call 
myself  a Turkish  pilgrim  in  order  to  get  possession  of  two 
most  comfortless  rooms,  which  I afterwards  learned  were 
celebrated  for  making  travellers  ill,  and  I had  to  pay  eight- 
een piastres  for  the  key  and  eighteen  ditto  per  mensem  for 
rent,  besides  five  piastres  to  the  man  who  swept  and  washed 

3 


50  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINA!!  AND  MECCAH. 

the  place.  So  that  for  this  month  my  house  hire  amounted 
to  nearly  four  pence  a day. 

But  I was  fortunate  enough  in  choosing  the  Jemaliyah 
Wakalah,  for  I found  a friend  there.  On  board  the  steamer 
a fellow  voyager,  seeing  me  sitting  alone  and  therefore  as 
he  conceived  in  discomfort,  placed  himself  by  my  side  and 
opened  a hot  fire  of  kind  inquiries.  He  was  a man  about 
forty-five,  of  middle  size,  with  a large  round  head  closely 
shaven,  a bull-neck,  limbs  sturdy  as  a Saxon’s,  a thin  red 
beard,  and  handsome  features  beaming  with  benevolence. 
A curious  dry  humor  he  had,  delighting  in  “quizzing,” 
bat  in  so  quiet,  solemn,  and  quaint  a way  that  before  you 
knew  him  you  could  scarcely  divine  his  drift. 

“ Thank  Allah  we  carry  a doctor !”  said  my  friend  more 
than  once,  with  apparent  fervor  of  gratitude,  after  he  had 
discovered  my  profession.  I was  fairly  taken  by  the  pious 
ejaculation,  and  some  days  elapsed  before  the  drift  of  his 
remark  became  apparent. 

“ You  doctors,”  he  explained,  when  we  were  more 
intimate,  u what  do  you  do  ? a man  goes  to  you  for  oph- 
thalmia. It  is  a purge,  a blister,  and  a drop  on  the  eye ! 
Is  it  for  fever?  well ! a purge  and  kinakina  (quinine).  For 
dysentery  ? a purge  and  extract  of  opium.  W allah ! I am 
as  good  a physician  as  the  best  of  you,”  he  would  add, 
with  a broad  grin,  u if  I only  knew  a few  break-jaw  Arabic 
names  of  diseases.” 

Haji  Wali  therefore  emphatically  advised  me  to  make 
bread  by  honestly  teaching  languages.  “We  are  doctor- 
ridden,”  said  he,  and  I found  it  was  the  case. 

When  we  lived  under  the  same  roof,  the  Haji  and  I 
became  fast  friends.  During  the  day  we  called  on  each 
other  frequently,  we  dined  together,  and  passed  the  even- 
ing in  a mosque,  or  some  other  place  of  public  pastime. 
Coyly  at  first,  but  less  guardedly  as  we  grew  bolder,  we 


THE  PILGRIM  BECOMES  AN  AFGHAN. 


51 


smoked  the  forbidden  weed  u hashish,”*  conversing  length- 
ily the  while  about  that  world  of  which  I had  seen  so 
much.  Originally  from  Russia  he  also  had  been  a tra- 
veller, and  in  his  wanderings  had  cast  off  most  of  the  pre- 
judices of  his  people.  “ I believe  in  Allah  and  his  Pro- 
phet, and  in  nothing  else,”  was  his  sturdy  creed ; he 
rejected  alchemy,  genii,  and  magicians,  and  truly  he  had  a 
most  unoriental  distaste  for  tales  of  wonder.  When  I 
entered  the  wakalah,  he  constituted  himself  my  cicerone, 
and  especially  guarded  me  against  the  cheating  of  trades- 
men. By  his  advice  I laid  aside  the  dervish’s  gown,  the 
large  blue  pantaloons,  and  the  short  shirt,  in  fact  all  con- 
nexion with  Persia  and  the  Persians.  “ If  you  persist  in 
being  an  Ajemi,”  said  the  Haji,  “ you  will  get  yourself 
into  trouble ; in  Egypt  you  will  be  cursed,  in  Arabia  you 
will  be  beaten  because  you  are  a heretic,  you  will  pay  the 
treble  of  what  other  travellers  do,  and  if  you  fall  sick  you 
may  die  by  the  roadside.”  After  long  deliberation  about 
the  choice  of  nations  I became  a Pathan.f  Born  in  India, 

* By  the  Indians  called  Bhang,  the  Persians  Bang,  and  the  natives  of 
Barbary,  I believe,  Fasukh.  The  Hottentots  use  it,  and  even  the  Sibe- 
rians, we  are  told,  intoxicate  themselves  by  the  vapor  of  this  seed 
thrown  upon  red-hot  stones.  Egypt  surpasses  all  other  nations  in  the 
variety  of  compounds  into  which  this  fascinating  drug  enters,  and  will 
one  day  probably  supply  the  Western  world  with  “Indian  hemp,” 
when  its  solid  merits  are  duly  appreciated.  At  present  in  Europe  it  is 
chiefly  confined,  as  cognac  and  opium  used  to  be,  to  the  apothecary’s 
shelves.  Some  adventurous  individuals  at  Paris,  after  the  perusal  of 
“ Monte  Christo,”  attempted  an  “ orgie”  in  one  of  the  cafes,  but  with 
poor  success. 

f The  Indian  name  of  an  Afghan,  supposed  to  be  a corruption  of  the 
Arabic  Fathan  (a  conqueror),  or  a derivation  from  the  Hindostani 
paithna,  to  penetrate  (into  the  hostile  ranks).  It  is  an  honorable  term 
in  Arabia,  where  “ Khurasani”  (a  native  of  Khorassan)  leads  men  to 
suspect  a Persian,  and  the  other  generic  appellation  of  the  Afghan 
tribes. 


52  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

of  Afghan  parents,  who  had  settled  in  the  country,  edu- 
cated at  Rangoon,  and  sent  out  to  wander,  as  men  of  that 
race  frequently  are  from  early  youth,  I was  well  guarded 
against  the  danger  of  detection  by  a fellow  countryman. 
To  support  the  character  requires  a knowledge  of  Persian, 
Hindostani,  and  Arabic,  all  of  which  I knew  sufficiently 
well  to  pass  muster;  any  trifling  inaccuracy  was  charged 
upon  my  long  residence  at  Rangoon.  This  was  an  impor- 
tant step.  The  first  question  at  the  shop,  on  the  camel, 
and  in  the  mosque  is,  “ What  is  thy  name  ?”  the  second, 
“ Whence  comest  thou  ?”  This  is  not  generally  imperti- 
nent, or  intended  to  be  annoying  ; if,  however,  you  see  any 
evil  intention  in  the  questioner,  you  may  rather  roughly 
ask  him,  “What  may  be  his  maternal  parent’s  name” — equi- 
valent to  inquiring,  Anglicb , in  what  church  his  mother  was 
married — and  escape  your  difficulties  undercover  of  a storm. 
But  this  is  rarely  necessary.  I assumed  the  polite  and  pliant 
manners  of  an  Indian  physician,  and  the  dress  of  a small  Ef- 
fendi,*  still,  however,  representing  myself  to  be  a Dervish, 
and  frequenting  the  places  where  Dervishes  congregate. 
“ What  business,”  asked  the  Haji,  “ have  those  reverend 
men  with  politics  or  statistics,  or  any  of  the  information 
which  you  are  collecting  ? Call  yourself  a religious  wan- 
derer if  you  like,  and  let  those  who  ask  the  object  of  your 
peregrinations  know  that  you  are  under  a vow  to  visit  all 
the  holy  places  in  Islam.  Thus  you  will  persuade  them 
that  you  are  a man  of  rank  under  a cloud,  and  • you  will 
receive  much  more  civility  than  perhaps  you  deserve,”  con- 
cluded my  friend,  with  a dry  laugh.  The  remark  proved 
his  sagacity,  and,  after  ample  experience,  I had  not  to 
repent  having  been  guided  by  his  advice. 

After  lodging  myself  in  the  Wakalah,  my  first  object 


* Gentleman. 


NO  EASTERN  WORD  FOR  “ GRATITUDE.”  53 

was  to  make  a certain  stir  in  the  world.  In  Europe,  your 
travelling  doctor  advertises  the  loss  of  a diamond  ring,  the 
gift  of  a Russian  autocrat,  or  he  monopolises  a whole 
column  in  a newspaper,  feeing  perhaps  a title  for  the  use 
of  a signature  ; the  large  brass  plate,  the  gold-headed  cane, 
the  rattling  chariot,  and  the  summons  from  the  sermon, 
complete  the  work.  Here  there  is  no  such  royal  road  to 
medical  fame.  You  must  begin  by  sitting  with  the  porter, 
who  is  sure  to  have  blear  eyes,  into  which  you  drop  a little 
nitrate  of  silver,  whilst  you  instil  into  his  ear  the  pleasing 
intelligence  that  you  never  take  a fee  from  the  poor.  He 
recovers ; his  report  of  you  spreads  far  and  wide,  crowding 
your  doors  with  paupers.  They  come  to  you  as  though 
you  were  their  servant,  and  when  cured  turn  their  backs 
upon  you  for  ever.  Hence  it  is  that  European  doctors 
generally  complain  of  ingratitude  on  the  part  of  their 
Oriental  patients.  It  is  true  that  if  you  save  a man’s  life 
he  naturally  asks  you  for  the  means  of  preserving  it. 
Moreover,  in  none  of  the  Eastern  languages  with  which  I 
am  acquainted,  is  there  a single  term  conveying  the  mean- 
ing of  our  “ gratitude,”  and  none  but  the  Germans  have 
ideas  unexplainable  by  words.  But  you  must  not  condemn 
this  absence  of  a virtue  without  considering  the  cause.  An 
Oriental  deems  that  he  has  a right  to  your  surplus.  “ Daily 
bread  is  divided”  (by  heaven)  he  asserts,  and  eating  yours 
he  considers  it  his  own.  Thus  it  is  with  other  things.  He 
is  thankful  to  Allah  for  the  gifts  of  the  Creator,  but  he  has 
a claim  to  the  good  offices  of  a fellow  creature.  In  rendering 
him  a service  you  have  but  done  your  duty,  and  he  would 
not  pay  you  so  poor  a compliment  as  to  praise  you  for  the 
act.  He  leaves  you,  his  benefactor,  with  a short  prayer  for 
the  length  of  your  days.  “ Thank  you,”  being  expressed 
by  “ Allah  increase  thy  weal !”  or  the  selfish  wish  that 
your  shadow  (with  which  you  protect  him  and  his  fellows) 


54 


PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAII  AND  MECCAH. 


may  never  be  less.  And  this  is  probably  the  last  you  hear 
of  him. 

There  is  a discomfort  in  such  proceedings,  a reasonable, 
a metaphysical  coldness,  uglily  contrasting  in  theory  with 
the  genial  warmth  which  a little  more  heart  would  infuse 
into  them.  In  theory,  I say,  not  in  practice.  What  can  be 
more  troublesome  than,  when  you  have  obliged  a man,  to 
run  the  gauntlet  of  his  and  his  family’s  thanksgivings. 
“ To  find  yourself  become  a master  from  being  a friend,” 
a great  man  where  you  were  an  equal ; not  to  be  contra- 
dicted, where  shortly  before  every  one  gave  his  opinion 
freely.  You  must  be  unamiable  if  these  considerations  de- 
ter you  from  benefiting  your  friend,  yet,  I humbly  opine, 
you  still  may  fear  his  gratefulness. 

To  resume.  When  the  mob  has  raised  you  to  fame, 
patients  of  a better  class  will  slowly  appear  on  the  scene. 
After  some  coquetting  about  “ etiquette,”  whether  you  are 
to  visit  them  or  they  are  to  call  upon  you,  they  make  up 
their  minds  to  see  you,  and  to  judge  with  their  eyes  whether 
you  are  to  be  trusted  or  not ; whilst  you,  on  your  side,  set 
out  with  the  determination  that  they  shall  at  once  cross  the 
Rubicon, — in  less  classical  phrase,  swallow  your  drug.  If 
you  visit  the  house,  you  insist  on  the  patient’s  servants  at- 
tending you ; he  must  also  provide  and  pay  for  an  ass  for  your 
conveyance,  no  matter  if  it  be  only  to  the  other  side  of  the 
street.  Your  confidential  man  accompanies  you,  primed  for 
replies  to  the  “ fifty  searching  questions”  of  the  “ servants’ 
hall.”  You  are  lifted  oft*  the  saddle  tenderly,  as  nurses  dis- 
mount their  charges,  when  you  arrive  at  the  gate,  and  you 
waddle  up  stairs  with  dignity.  Arrived  at  the  sick  room, 
you  salute  those  present  with  a general  “peace  be  upon  you!” 
to  which  they  respond,  “ and  upon  you  be  the  peace  and 
the  mercy  of  Allah,  and  his  blessing!”  To  the  invalid  you 
say,  “ There  is  nothing  the  matter,  please  Allah,  except  the 


A MEDICAL  MAN’S  VISIT  IN  THE  EAST. 


55 


health  to  which  the  proper  answer — for  here  every  sign 
of  ceremony  has  its  countersign — is,  “ may  Allah  give  thee 
health!”  You  then  sit  down  and  acknowledge  the  presence 
of  the  company  by  raising  your  right  hand  to  your  lips  and 
forehead,  bowing  the  while  circularly ; each  individual  re- 
turns the  civility  by  a similar  gesture.  Then  inquiry  about 
the  state  of  your  health  ensues.  Then  you  are  asked  what 
refreshment  you  will  take : you  studiously  mention  some- 
thing not  likely  to  be  in  the  house,  but  at  last  you  rough  it 
with  a pipe  and  a cup  of  coffee.  Then  you  proceed  to  the 
patient,  who  extends  his  wrist,  and  asks  you  what  his  com- 
plaint is.  Then  you  examine  his  tongue,  you  feel  his  pulse, 
you  look  learned,  and — he  is  talking  all  the  time — after 
hearing  a detailed  list  of  all  his  ailments,  you  gravely  dis- 
cover them,  taking  for  the  same  as  much  praise  to  yourself 
as  does  the  practising  phrenologist,  for  a similar  simple  ex- 
ercise of  the  reasoning  faculties.  The  disease  to  be  respect- 
able must  invariably  be  connected  with  one  of  the  four  tem- 
peraments, or  the  four  elements,  or  the  “ humors  of  Hip- 
pocrates.” Cure  is  easy,  but  it  will  take  time,  and  you,  the 
doctor,  require  attention ; any  little  rudeness  it  is  in  your 
power  to  punish  by  an  alteration  in  the  pill,  or  the  powder, 
and,  so  unknown  is  professional  honor,  that  none  will  brave 
your  displeasure.  If  you  would  pass  for  a native  practi- 
tioner, you  must  then  proceed  to  a most  uncomfortable  part 
of  your  visit,  bargaining  for  fees.  Nothing  more  effectually 
arouses  suspicion  than  disinterestedness  in  a doctor.  I 
once  cured  a rich  Hazramaut  merchant  of  rheumatism,  and 
neglected  to  make  him  pay  for  treatment;  he  carried  off 
one  of  my  coffee  cups,  and  was  unceasingly  wondering  where 
I came  from.  So  I made  him  produce  five  piastres,  a shilling, 
which  he  threw  upon  the  carpet,  cursing  Indian  avarice. 
“ You  will  bring  on  another  illness,”  said  my  friend  the  Haji, 
when  he  heard  of  it.  Properly  sjieaking  the  fee  for  a visit  to 


56 


PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 


a respectable  man  is  20  piastres,  but  with  the  rich  patient 
you  begin  by  making  a bargain.  He  complains,  for  instance, 
of  dysentery  and  sciatica.  You  demand  10/.  for  the  dysen- 
tery, and  20/.  for  the  sciatica.  But  you  will  rarely  get  it, 
The  Eastern  pays  a doctor’s  bill  as  an  Irishman  does  his 
44  rint,”  making  a grievance  of  it.  Your  patient  will  show 
indisputable  signs  of  convalescence : he  will  laugh  and  jest 
half  the  day ; but  the  moment  you  appear,  groans  and  a 
lengthened  visage,  and  pretended  compaints  welcome  you. 
Then  your  way  is  to  throw  out  some  such  hint  as 

44  The  world  is  a carcass,  and  they  who  seek  it  are  dogs.” 

And  you  refkse  to  treat  the  second  disorder,  which  conduct 
may  bring  the  refractory  one  to  his  senses.  44  Dat  Galenus 
opes,”  however,  is  a Western  apothegm:  the  utmost  “Jali- 
nus”  can  do  for  you  here  is  to  provide  you  with  the  neces- 
saries and  the  comforts  of  life.  Whatever  you  prescribe 
must  be  solid  and  material,  and  if  you  accompany  it  with 
something  painful,  such  as  rubbing  unto  scarification  with  a 
horse  brush,  so  much  the  better.  Easterns,  as  our  peasants 
in  Europe,  like  the  doctor  to  44  give  them  the  value  of  their 
money.”  Besides  which,  rough  measures  act  beneficially 
upon  their  imagination.  So  the  Hakim  of  the  King  of 
Persia  cured  fevers  by  the  bastinado;  patients  are  bene- 
ficially baked  in  a bread-oven  at  Bagdad;  and  an  Egyptian 
at  Alexandria,  whose  quartan  resisted  the  strongest  appli- 
ances of  European  physic,  was  effectually  healed  by  the 
actual  cautery,  which  a certain  Arab  Shaykh  applied  to  the 
crown  of  his  head.  When  you  administer  with  your  own 
hand  the  remedy — half-a-dozen  huge  bread  pills,  dipped  in 
a solution  of  aloes  or  cinnamon  water,  flavored  with  assa- 
foetida,  which  in  the  case  of  the  dyspeptic  rich  often  suffice, 
if  they  will  but  diet  themselves — you  are  careful  to  say, 


MEDICAL  TREATMENT  IN  THE  EAST. 


57 


“In  the  name  of  Allah,  the  compassionate,  the  merciful.” 
And  after  the  patient  has  been  dosed,  “ Praise  be  to  Allah, 
the  curer,  the  healer;”  you  then  call  for  pen,  ink,  and  paper, 
and  write  some  such  prescription  as  this : — 

• 

“A* 

u In  the  name  of  Allah,  the  compassionate,  the  merciful,  and 
blessings  and  peace  he  upon  our  Lord  the  Prophet,  and  his  family, 
and  his  companions  one  and  all ! But  afterwards  let  him  take  bees- 
honey  and  cinnamon  and  album  grfecum,  of  each  half  a part,  and  of 
ginger  a whole  part,  which  let  him  pound  and  mix  with  the  honey, 
and  form  boluses,  each  bolus  the  weight  of  a miskal,  and  of  it  let 
him  use  every  day  a miskal  on  the  saliva.f  Yerily  its  effects  are 
wonderful.  And  let  him  abstain  from  flesh,  fish,  vegetables,  sweet- 
meats, flatulent  food,  acids  of  all  descriptions,  as  well  as  the  major 
ablution,  and  life  in  perfect  quiet.  So  shall  he  be  cured  by  the  help 
of  the  King  the  Healer.  % And  the  peace.”  § 

The  diet,  I need  scarcely  say,  should  be  rigorous ; no- 
thing has  tended  more  to  bring  the  European  system  of 
medicine  into  contempt  among  orientals  than  our  inatten- 
tion to  this  branch  of  the  therapeutic  art.  When  an  Indian 
takes  cathartic  medicine,  he  prepares  himself  for  it  by  diet 
and  rest  two  or  three  days  before  its  adhibition,  and  as 
gradually  after  the  dose,  he  relapses  into  his  usual  habits ; 
if  he  break  through  the  regime  it  is  concluded  that  fatal 
results  must  ensue.  The  ancient  Egyptians  we  learn  from 
Herodotus  devoted  a certain  number  of  days  in  each  month 

* A monogram  generally  placed  at  the  head  of  writings.  It  is  the 
initial  letter  of  “ Allah,”  and  the  first  of  the  alphabet,  used  from  time 
immemorial  to  denote  the  origin  of  creation.  “ I am  Alpha  and  Omega, 
the  first  and  the  last.” 

t “ AT  ar-rik,”  that  is  to  say,  fasting — the  first  thing  in  the  morning, 

t The  Almighty.  § Was’-salam,  i.  e.  adieu. 


58 


PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 


to  the  use  of  alteratives,  and  the  period  was  consecutive, 
doubtless  in  order  to  graduate  the  strength  of  the  medicine. 
The  Persians,  when  under  salivation,  shut  themselves  up  in 
a warm  room,  never  undress,  and  so  carefully  guard  against 
cold  that  they  even  drink  tepid  water.  When  the  Afghan 
princes  find  it  necessary  to  employ  Chob-Chini,  (the  Jin- 
seng,  or  China  root  so  celebrated  as  a purifier,  tonic,  and 
aphrodisiac)  they  choose  the  spring  season;  they  remove 
to  a garden,  where  flowers  and  trees  and  bubbling  streams 
soothe  their  senses;  they  carefully  avoid  fatigue  and  trouble 
of  all  kinds,  and  will  not  even  hear  a letter  read,  lest  it 
should  contain  bad  news. 

When  the  prescription  is  written  out,  you  affix  an  im- 
pression of  your  ring  seal  to  the  beginning  and  the  end  of 
it,  that  no  one  may  be  able  to  add  to  or  to  take  from  its 
contents.  And  when  you  send  medicine  to  a patient  of 
rank,  who  is  sure  to  have  enemies,  you  adopt  some  similar 
precaution  against  the  box  or  the  bottle  being  opened. 
One  of  the  Pashas  whom  I attended — a brave  soldier,  who 
had  been  a favorite  with  Mohammed  Ali,  and  therefore 
was  degraded  by  his  successor — kept  an  impression  of  my 
ring  in  wax,  to  compare  with  that  upon  the  phials.  Men 
have  not  forgotten  how  frequently,  in  former  times,  those 
who  became  obnoxious  to  the  state  were  seized  with 
sudden  and  fatal  cramps  in  the  stomach.  In  the  case  of 
the  doctor  it  is  common  prudence  to  adopt  these  precau- 
tions, as  all  evil  consequences  would  be  charged  upon  him, 
and  he  would  be  exposed  to  the  family’s  revenge. 

Cairo,  though  abounding  in  medical  practitioners,  can 
still  support  more ; but  they  must  be  Indians,  or  Chinese, 
or  Maghrabis  to  thrive.  The  Egyptians  are  thoroughly 
disgusted  with  European  treatment,  which  is  here  about  as 
efficacious  as  in  India — that  is  to  say,  not  at  all.  But  they 
are  ignorant  of  the  medicine  of  Hind,  and  therefore  great 


SUPERSTITIOUS  INFLUENCES  OF  CLIMATE. 


59 


is  its  name ; deservedly  perhaps,  for  skill  in  simples  and 
dietetics.  Besides  which  the  Indian  may  deal  in  charms 
and  spells — things  to  which  the  latitude  gives  such  force 
that  even  Europeans  learn  to  put  faith  in  them.  The  tra- 
veller who,  on  the  banks  of  the  Seine,  scoffs  at  Sights  and 
Sounds,  Table-turning  and  Spirit-rapping,  in  the  wilds  of 
Tartary  and  Thibet  sees  a something  supernatural  and  dia- 
bolical in  the  bungling  Sie-fa  of  the  Bokte*  Some  sensible 
men,  who  pass  for  philosophers  among  their  friends,  have 
been  caught  by  the  incantations  of  the  turbaned  and 
bearded  Cairo  magician.  In  our  West  African  colonies 
the  phrase  “ growing  black,”  was  applied  to  colonists,  who, 
after  a term  of  residence,  became  thoroughly  imbued  with 
the  superstitions  of  the  land.  And  there  are  not  wanting 
old  English  Indians,  intelligent  men,  that  place  firm  trust 
in  tales  and  tenets  too  puerile  even  for  the  Hindus  to 
believe.  As  “Hindi”  I could  use  animal  magnetism, 
taking  care,  however,  to  give  the  science  a specious  super- 
natural appearance.  Haji  Wali,  who,  professing  positive 
scepticism,  showed  the  greatest  interest  in  the  subject,  as  a 
curiosity,  advised  me  not  to  practise  pure  mesmerism; 
otherwise,  that  I should  infallibly  become  a “ Companion 
of  Devils.”  “You  must  call  this  an  Indian  secret,”  said 
my  friend,  “ for  it  is  clear  that  you  are  no  Mashaikh,f  and 

* Certain  Lamas  who,  we  learn  from  M.  Hue,  perform  famous  Sie-fa, 
or  supernaturalisms,  such  as  cutting  open  the  abdomen,  licking  red-hot 
irons,  making  incisions  in  various  parts  of  the  body,  which  an  instant 
afterwards  leave  no  trace  behind,  &c.,  <fcc.  The  devil  may  “ have  a 
great  deal  to  do  with  the  matter,”  in  Tartary,  for  all  I know ; but  I can 
assure  M.  Hue,  that  the  Rufia  Dervishes  in  India  and  the  Saadiyah  at 
Cairo  perform  exactly  the  same  feats.  Their  jugglery,  seen  through 
the  smoke  of  incense,  and  amidst  the  enthusiasm  of  a crowd,  is  tole- 
rably dexterous,  and  no  more. 

f A holy  man. 


60  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

people  will  ask  where  are  your  drugs,  and  what  business 
have  you  with  charms  ?”  It  is  useless  to  say  that  I fol- 
lowed his  counsel ; yet  patients  would  consider  themselves 
my  Murids,  and  delighted  in  kissing  the  hand  of  the  minor 
saint. 

The  Haji  repaid  me  for  my  docility  by  vaunting  me 
everywhere  as  the  very  phoenix  of  physicians.  My  first 
successes  were  in  the  Wakalah.  Opposite  to  me  there 
lived  an  Arab  slave  dealer,  whose  Abyssinians  constantly 
fell  sick.  A tender  race,  they  suffer  wh£n  first  transported 
to  Egypt  from  many  complaints,  especially  consumption, 
dysentery,  and  varicose  veins.  I succeeded  in  curing  one 
girl.  As  she  was  worth  at  least  fifteen  pounds,  the  gra- 
titude of  her  owner  was  great,  and  I had  to  dose  half  a 
dozen  others,  in  order  to  cure  them  of  the  pernicious  and 
price-lowering  habit  of  snoring.  Living  in  rooms  opposite 
these  slave  girls,  and  seeing  them  at  all  hours  of  the  day 
and  night,  I had  frequent  opportunities  of  studying  them. 
They  were  average  specimens  of  the  steatopygous  Abys- 
sinian breed,  broad-shouldered,  thin-flanked,  fine-limbed, 
and  with  haunches  of  a prodigious  size.  None  of  them  had 
handsome  features,  but  the  short  curly  hair  that  stands  on 
end  being  concealed  under  a kerchief,  there  was  something 
pretty  in  the  brow,  eyes,  and  upper  part  of  the  nose,  coarse 
and  sensual  in  the  pendent  lips,  large  jowl,  and  projecting 
mouth,  whilst  the  whole  had  a combination  of  piquancy 
with  sweetness.  Their  style  of  flirtation  was  peculiar. 

“ How  beautiful  thou  art,  O Maryam ! — what  eyes ! — 
what — ” 

“ Then  why,”  would  respond  the  lady,  “ don’t  you  buy 
me  ?” 

“We  are  of  one  faith — of  one  creed — formed  to  form 
each  other’s  happiness.” 

“ Then  why  don’t  you  buy  me  ?” 


TREATMENT  OF  SLAVES. 


61 


u Conceive,  O Maryam,  the  blessing  of  two  hearts — ” 

“ Then  why  don’t  you  buy  me  ?” 

And  so  on.  Most  effectual  gag  to  Cupid’s  eloquence ! 
Yet  was  not  the  plain-spoken  Maryam’s  reply  without  its 
moral.  How  often  is  it  our  fate  in  the  West,  as  in  the 
East,  to  see  in  bright  eyes,  and  to  hear  from  rosy  lips,  an 
implied,  if  not  an  expressed,  “ Why  don’t  you  buy  me  ?” 
or,  worse  still,  “ Why  can’t  you  buy  me  ?” 

All  I required  in  return  for  my  services  from  the  slave- 
dealer,  whose  brutal  countenance  and  manners  were  truly 
repugnant,  was  to  take  me  about  the  town,  and  explain  to 
me  certain  mysteries  in  his  craft,  which  knowledge  might 
be  useful  in  time  to  come.  Little  did  he  suspect  who  his 
interrogator  was,  and  freely  in  his  unsuspiciousness  he 
entered  upon  th£  subject  of  slave  hunting  in  the  Somali 
country  and  Zanzibar,  of  all  things  the  most  interesting  to 
me.  I have  nothing  new  to  report  concerning  the  present 
state  of  bondsmen  in  Egypt.  England  has  already  learned 
that  slaves  are  not  necessarily  the  most  wretched  and 
degraded  of  men.  Some  have  been  bold  enough  to  tell 
the  British  public,  that,  in  the  generality  of  Oriental 
countries,*  the  serf  fares  far  better  than  the  servant,  or 
indeed  than  the  poorer  orders  of  freemen.  u The  laws  of 
Mahomet  enjoin  his  followers  to  treat  slaves  with  the 
greatest  mildness,  and  the  Moslems  are  in  general  scrupu- 

*In  the  generality,  not  in  all.  Nothing,  for  instance,  can  be  more 
disgraceful  to  human  nature  than  the  state  of  proedial  slavery,  or  serfs 
attached  to  the  glebe,  when  Malabar  was  under  the  dominion  of  the 
“ mild  Hindu.”  And  as  a rule  in  the  East,  it  is  only  the  domestic 
slaves  who  taste  the  sweets  of  slavery.  Yet  there  is  truth  in  Sonnini’s 
terrible  remark  : “ The  severe  treatment  under  which  the  slaves  lan- 
guish in  the  West  Indies  is  the  shameful  prerogative  of  civilization,  and 
is  unknown  to  those  nations  among  whom  barbarism  is  reported  to  hold 
sway.” 


62  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

lous  observers  of  the  Prophet’s  recommendation.  Slaves 
are  considered  members  of  the  family,  and  in  houses  where 
free  servants  are  kept  besides,  they  seldom  do  any  other 
work  than  filling  the  pipes,  presenting  the  coffee,  accompa- 
nying their  master  when  going  out,  rubbing  his  feet  when 
he  takes  his  nap  in  the  afternoon,  and  driving  away  the 
flies  from  him.  When  a slave  is  not  satisfied  he  can  legally 
compel  his  master  to  sell  him.  He  has  no  care  for  food, 
lodging,  clothes,  and  washing,  and  has  no  taxes  to  pay ; he 
is  exempt  from  military  service  and  soccage,  and  in  spite 
of  his  bondage  is  freer  than  the  freest  Fellah  in  Egypt.”  * 
This  is,  I believe,  a true  statement,  but  of  course  it  in 
nowise  affects  the  question  of  slavery  in  the  abstract. 

A certain  amount  of  reputation  was  the  consequence  of 
curing  the  Abyssinian  girls  : my  friend  Haji  Wali  carefully 
told  the  news  to  all  the  town,  and  before  fifteen  days  were 
over  I found  myself  obliged  to  decline  extending  a practice 
which  threatened  me  with  fame. 

Servants  are  most  troublesome  things  to  all  Englishmen 
in  Egypt,  but  especially  to  one  travelling  as  a respectable 
native,  and  therefore  expected  to  have  slaves.  After  much 
deliberation  I resolved  to  take  a Berberi  and  accordingly 
summoned  a Shaykh — there  is  a Shaykh  for  every  thing  down 
to  thieves  in  Asia — and  made  known  my  want.  The  list 
of  sine  qua  nons  was  necessarily  rather  an  extensive  one, — 
good  health  and  a readiness  to  travel  anywhere,  a little  skill 
in  cooking,  sewing  and  washing,  willingness  to  fight,  and  a 

* The  author  has  forgotten  to  mention  one  of  the  principal  advan- 
tages of  slaves,  namely,  the  prospect  of  arriving  at  the  highest  rank  of 
the  empire.  The  Pacha  of  the  Syrian  caravan  with  which  I travelled 
to  Damascus  had  been  the  slave  of  a slave,  and  he  is  but  a solitary 
instance  of  cases  perpetually  occurring  in  all  Moslem  lands.  “ C’est  un 
homme  de  bonne  famille  ” said  a Turkish  officer  in  Egypt,  “ il  a ete 
achete 


SERVANTS  IN  EGYPT. 


63 


habit  of  regular  prayers.  After  a day’s  delay  the  Shaykh 
brought  me  a specimen  of  his  choosing,  a broad-shouldered, 
bandy-legged  fellow,  with  the  usual  bull-dog  expression 
of  the  Berberis,  in  his  case  rendered  still  more  expressive 
by  the  drooping  of  an  eyelid — an  accident  brought  about 
with  acrid  juice  in  order  to  avoid  conscription.  He  re- 
sponded sturdily  to  all  my  questions.  Some  Egyptian 
donkey  boys  and  men  were  making  a noise  in  the  room  at 
the  time,  and  the  calm  ferocity  with  which  he  ejected  them 
commanded  my  approval.  When  a needle,  thread,  and  an 
unhemmed  napkin  were  handed  to  him,  he  sat  down,  held 
the  edge  of  the  cloth  between  his  big  toe  and  its  neighbor, 
and  finished  the  work  in  quite  a superior  style.  Walking 
out  he  armed  himself  with  a Kurbaj,  which  he  used,  now 
lightly,  then  heavily,  upon  all  laden  animals,  biped  and 
quadruped,  that  came  in  the  way.  His  conduct  proving 
equally  satisfactory  in  the  kitchen,  after  getting  security 
from  him,  and  having  his  name  registered  by  the  Shaykh,  I 
closed  with  him  for  eighty  piastres  a month.  But  Ali  the 
Berberi  and  I were  destined  to  part.  Before  a fortnight  he 
stabbed  his  fellow  servant — a Surat  lad,  who  wishing  to  re- 
turn home  forced  his  services  upon  me,  and  for  this  trick  he 
received  with  his  dismissal,  400  blows  on  the  feet  by  order 
of  the  Zabit,  or  police  magistrate.  After  this  I tried  a 
number  of  servants,  Egyptians,  Saidi,  and  clean  and  unclean 
eating  Berberis.  Recommended  by  different  Shaykhs  all 
had  some  fatal  defect — one  cheated  recklessly,  another  rob- 
bed me,  a third  drank,  a fourth  was  always  in  scrapes  for 
infringing  the  Julian  edict,  and  the  last,  a long-legged 
Nubian,  after  remaining  two  days  in  the  house,  dismissed 
me  for  expressing  a determination  to  travel  by  sea  from 
Suez  to  Yambu.  I kept  one  man ; he  complained  that  he 
was  worked  to  death : two — they  did  nothing  but  fight ; 
and  three — they  left  me,  as  Mr.  Elwes  said  of  old,  to  serve 


64  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAII. 

myself.  At  last  thoroughly  tired  of  Egyptian  domestics, 
and  one  servant  being  really  sufficient  for  comfort,  as  well  as 
suitable  to  my  assumed  rank,  I determined  to  keep  only  the 
Indian  boy.  He  had  all  the  defects  of  his  nation  ; a brave 
at  Cairo,  he  was  an  arrant  coward  at  el  Medinah  : the 
Bedouins  despised  him  heartily  for  his  effeminacy  in  making 
his  camel  kneel  to  dismount,  and  he  could  not  keep  his 
hands  from  picking  and  stealing.  But  the  choice  had  its 
advantages:  his  swarthy  skin  and  chubby  features  made  the 
Arabs  always  call  him  an  Abyssinian  slave,  which,  as  it 
favored  my  disguise,  I did  not  care  to  contradict ; he 
served  well,  was  amenable  to  discipline,  and,  being  complete- 
ly dependent  upon  me,  was  therefore  less  likely  to  watch  and 
especially  to  prate  about  my  proceedings.  As  master  and 
man  we  performed  the  pilgrimage  together ; but,  on  my 
return  to  Egypt  after  the  pilgrimage,  Shaykh  Nur,  finding 
me  to  be  a Sahib,*  changed  for  the  worse.  He  would  not 
work,  and  reserved  all  his  energy  for  the  purpose  of  pilfer- 
ing, which  he  practised  so  audaciously  upon  my  friends,  as 
well  as  upon  myself,  that  he  could  not  be  kept  in  the 
house. 

Perhaps  the  reader  may  be  curious  to  see  the  necessary 
expenses  of  a bachelor  residing  at  Cairo.  He  must  observe, 
however,  in  the  following  list  that  I was  not  a strict  econo- 
mist, and,  besides  that,  I was  a stranger  in  the  country : 
inhabitants  and  old  settlers  would  live  as  well  for  little 
more  than  two-thirds  the  sum. 

Piastres.  Foddthab. 

House  rent  at  18  piastres  per  mensem  . 0 24 

Servant  at  80  piastres  per  do.  .2  26 


The  generic  name  given  by  Indians  to  English  officials. 


TOBACCO  SMOKED  IN  EGYPT. 


S'  ' 

65 


Breakfast  for 
self  and  ser- 
vant. 


Dinner. 


Sundries. 


'10  eggs 
Coffee 

Water  melon  . 

Two  rolls  of  bread 
2 lbs.  of  meat 
Two  rolls  of  bread 
Vegetables 
Rice 

Oil  and  clarified  butter 

{A  skin  of  Nile  water 
Tobacco* 

Hoinmam,  (hot  bath) 


Piastres. 

0 

0 

1 

0 

2 

0 

0 

0 

1 

0 

1 

3 


Foddthah. 

5 

10 

0 

10 

20 

10 

20 

5 

0 

0 

0 

20 


Total  . 13  30 

Equal  to  about  two  shillings  and  ninepence. 


* There  are  four  kinds  of  tobacco  smoked  in  Egypt. 

The  first  and  best  is  the  well-known  Latakia,  generally  called  “ Jebe- 
U,”  either  from  a small  seaport  town  about  three  hours’  journey  south 
of  Latakia,  or  more  probably  because  grown  on  the  hills  near  the 
ancient  Laodicea.  Pure,  it  is  known  by  its  blackish  color,  fine  shred- 
ding, absence  of  stalk,  and  an  undescribable  odor,  to  me  resembling 
that  of  creosote ; the  leaf,  too,  is  small,  so  that  when  made  into  cigars 
it  must  be  covered  over  with  a slip  of  the  yellow  Turkish  tobacco 
called  Bafrah.  Except  at  the  highest  houses  unadulterated  Latakia  is 
not  to  be  had  in  Cairo.  Yet,  mixed  as  it  is,  no  other  growth  exceeds  it 
in  flavor  and  fragrance.  Miss  Martineau  smoked  it,  we  are  told,  with- 
out inconvenience,  and  it  differs  from  our  Shag,  Bird’s-eye,  and  Returns 
in  degree,  as  does  Chateau  Margaux  from  a bottle  of  cheap  strong  Spa- 
nish wine.  To  bring  out  its  flavor,  the  connoisseur  smokes  it  in  long 
pipes  of  cherry,  jasmine,  maple,  or  rosewood,  and  these  require  a ser- 
vant skilled  in  the  aits  of  cleaning  and  filling  them.  The  best  Jebeli  at 
Cairo  costs  about  seven  piastres  the  pound ; after  which  a small  sum 
must  be  paid  to  the  Farram,  or  chopper,  who  prepares  it  for  use. 

2nd.  Suri  (Syrian),  or  Shami,  or  Suryani,  grown  in  Syria,  an  inferior 
growth,  of  a lighter  color  than  Latakia,  and  with  a greenish  tinge; 
when  cut,  its  value  is  about  three  piastres  per  pound.  Some  smokers 
mix  this  leaf  with  Jebeli,  which,  to  my  taste,  spoils  the  flavor  of  the 


66 


A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 


In  these  days  who  at  Cairo  without  a Shaykh?  I 
thought  it  right  to  conform  to  popular  custom,  and  accord- 
ingly,  after  having  secured  a servant,  my  efforts  were 
directed  to  finding  a teacher — the  pretext  being  that  as  an 
Indian  doctor  I wanted  to  read  Arabic  works  on  medicine, 
as  well  as  to  perfect  myself  in  divinity  and  pronunciation. f 

latter  without  improving  the  former.  The  strongest  kind,  called 
Korani  or  Jebayl,  is  generally  used  for  cigarettes ; it  costs,  when  of  first 
rate  quality,  about  five  piastres  per  pound. 

3rd.  Tumbak,  or  Persian  tobacco,  called  Hejazi;  because  imported 
from  the  Hejaz,  where  everybody  smokes  it,  and  supposed  to  come  from 
Shiraz,  Kazerun,  and  other  celebrated  places  in  Persia.  It  is  all  but 
impossible  to  buy  this  article  unadulterated,  except  from  the  caravans 
returning  after  the  pilgrimage.  The  Egyptians  mix  it  with  native 
growths,  which  ruins  its  flavor,  and  gives  it  an  acridity  that  “ catches 
the  throat,”  whereas  good  tumbak  never  yet  made  a man  cough.  Yet 
the  taste  of  this  tobacco,  even  when  second-rate,  is  so  fascinating  to 
some  smokers  that  they  will  use  no  other.  To  be  used  it  should  be 
wetted  and  squeezed,  and  it  is  invariably  inhaled  through  water  into 
the  lungs : almost  every  town  has  its  favorite  description  of  pipe,  and 
these  are  of  all  kinds,  from  the  pauper’s  rough  cocoa-nut  mounted  with 
two  reeds,  to  the  prince’s  golden  bowl  set  with  the  finest  stones.  Tum- 
bak is  cheap,  costing  about  four  piastres  a pound,  but  large  quantities 
of  it  are  used. 

4th.  Hummi,  as  the  word  signifies,  a “ hot”  variety  of  the  tumbak 
grown  in  Y emen  and  other  countries.  It  is  placed  in  the  tile  on  the 
Buri  or  cocoa-nut  pipe,  unwetted,  and  has  a very  acrid  flavor.  Being 
supposed  to  produce  intoxication,  or  rather  a swimming  in  the  head, 
hummi  gives  its  votaries  a bad  name : respectable  men  would  answer 
“no”  with  rage  if  asked  whether  they  are  smoking  it,  and  when  a fel- 
low tells  you  that  he  has  seen  better  days,  but  that  now  he  smokes 
hummi  in  a Buri,  you  understand  him  that  his  misfortunes  have  affected 
either  his  brain  or  his  morality.  Hence  it  is  that  this  tobacco  is  never 
put  into  pipes  intended  for  smoking  the  other  kinds.  The  price  of 
hummi  is  about  five  piastres  per  pound. 

f A study  essential  to  the  learned,  as  in  some  particular  portions  of 
the  Koran,  a mispronunciation  becomes  a sin. 


EGYPTIAN  DRUGGIST  DESCRIBED. 


67 


My  theological  studies  were  in  the  Shafei  school  for  two 
reasons : in  the  first  place,  it  is  the  least  rigorous  one  of  the 
four  orthodox,  and  secondly,  it  most  resembles  the  Shiah 
heresy,  with  which  long  intercourse  with  Persians  had 
made  me  familiar.  My  choice  of  doctrine,  however,  con- 
firmed those  around  me  in  their  conviction  that  I was  a 
rank  heretic,  for  the  Ajemi,  taught  by  his  religion  to  con- 
ceal offensive  tenets,  in  lands  where  the  open  profession 
would  be  dangerous,  always  represents  himself  to  be  a 
Shafei.  This,  together  with  the  original  mistake  of  appear- 
ing publicly  at  Alexandria  as  a Mirza  in  a Persian  dress, 
caused  me  infinite  small  anuoyance  at  Cairo,  in  spite  of  all 
precautions  and  contrivances.  And  throughout  my  journey, 
even  in  Arabia,  though  I drew  my  knife  every  time  an 
offensive  hint  was  thrown  out,  the  ill-fame  clung  to  me  like 
the  shirt  of  Nessus. 

It  was  not  long  before  I happened  to  hit  upon  a proper 
teacher,  in  the  person  of  Shaykh  Mohammed  el  Attar,  or 
the  druggist.  He  had  known  prosperity,  having  once  been 
a Khatib  (preacher)  in  one  of  Mohammed  Ali’s  mosques. 
But  his  Highness  the  late  Pasha  had  dismissed  him,  which 
disastrous  event,  with  its  subsequent  train  of  misfortunes,  he 
dates  from  the  melancholy  day  when  he  took  to  himself  a 
wife.  He  talks  of  her  abroad  as  a stern  and  rigid  master 
dealing  with  a naughty  slave,  though,  by  the  look  that 
accompanies  his  rhodomontade,  I am  convinced  that  at 
home  he  is  the  very  model  of  “ managed  men.”  His  dis- 
missal was  the  reason  that  compelled  him  to  fall  back  upon 
the  trade  of  a druggist,  the  refuge  for  the  once  wealthy, 
though  now  destitute,  sages  of  Egypt. 

His  little  shop  in  the  Jemeliyah  Quarter  is  a perfect  gem 
of  Nilotic  queerness.  A hole  pierced  in  the  wall  of  some 
house,  about  five  feet  long  and  six  deep,  it  is  divided  into 
two  compartments  separated  by  a thin  partition  of  wood, 


68 


A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 


and  communicating  by  a kind  of  arch  cut  in  the  boards. 
The  inner  box,  germ  of  a back  parlor,  acts  store-house,  as 
the  pile  of  empty  old  baskets  tossed  in  dusty  confusion  upon 
the  dirty  floor  shows.  In  the  front  is  displayed  the  stock 
in  trade,  a matting  full  of  Persian  tobacco  and  pipe  bowls 
of  red  clay,  a palm-leaf  bag  containing  vile  coffee  and  large 
lumps  of  coarse  whity-brown  sugar,  wrapped  up  in  browner 
paper.  On  the  shelves  and  ledges  are  rows  of  well-thumbed 
wooden  boxes,  labelled  with  the  greatest  carelessness,  pep- 
per for  rhubarb,  arsenic  for  tail,  or  wash-clay,  and  sulphate  of 
iron  where  sal  ammoniac  should  be.  There  is  also  a square 
case  containing  under  lock  and  key,  small  change,  and 
some  choice  articles  of  commerce,  damaged  perfumes,  bad 
antimony  for  the  eyes,  and  pernicious  rouge.  And  dangling 
close  above  it  is  a rusty  pair  of  scales,  ill  poised  enough  for 
Egyptian  justice  herself  to  use.  To  hooks  over  the  shop- 
front are  suspended  reeds  for  pipes,  tallow  candles,  dirty  wax 
tapers,  and  cigarette  paper ; instead  of  plate-glass  windows 
and  brass-handled  doors,  a ragged  net  keeps  away  the  flies 
when  the  master  is  in,  and  the  thieves  when  he  goes  out  to 
recite  in  the  Hasanayn  mosque  his  daily  “Ya  Sin.”*  A 
wooden  shutter  which  closes  down  at  night-time,  and  by 
day  two  palm-stick  stools  intensely  dirty  and  full  of  fleas, 
occupying  the  place  of  the  Mastabah,f  which  accommodated 
the  purchasers,  complete  the  furniture  of  my  preceptor’s 
establishment. 

* One  of  the  most  esteemed  chapters  of  the  Koran,  frequently  recited 
as  a Wazifah  or  daily  task  by  religious  Moslems  in  Egypt. 

f The  Mastabah  here  is  a long  earthen  bench  plastered  over  with 
clay,  and  raised  about  two  feet  from  the  ground,  so  as  to  bring  the  pur- 
chaser’s head  to  a level  with  the  shop.  Mahommed  Ali  ordered  the 
people  to  remove  them,  as  they  narrowed  the  streets : their  place  is  now 
supplied  by  “ Kafas,”  cages  or  stools  of  wicker-work. 


THE  MANNERS  OF  THE  EASTERN  DRUGGIST. 


69 


There  he  sits  or  rather  lies  (for  verily,  I believe  he 
sleeps  through  three-fourths  of  the  day),  a thin  old  man 
about  fifty-eight,  with  features  once  handsome  and  regular, 
a sallow  face,  shaven  head,  deeply  wrinkled  cheeks,  eyes 
hopelessly  bleared,  and  a rough  grey  beard  ignorant  of  oil 
and  comb.  His  turban,  though  large,  is  brown  with  wear, 
his  coat  and  small-clothes  display  many  a hole,  and  though 
his  face  and  hands  must  be  frequently  washed  preparatory 
to  devotion,  still  they  have  the  quality  of  always  looking 
unclean.  It  is  wonderful  how  fierce  and  gruff  he  is  to  little 
boys  and  girls  who  flock  to  him  grasping  farthings  for  pep- 
per and  sugar.  On  such  occasions  I sit  admiring  to  see  him, 
when  forced  to  exertion,  wheel  about  on  his  place,  making 
a pivot  of  that  portion  of  our  organization  which  mainly 
distinguishes  our  species  from  the  other  families  of  the 
Simiadse,  to  reach  some  distant  drawer,  or  to  pull  down  a 
case  from  its  accustomed  shelf.  How  does  he  manage  to 
say  his  prayers,  to  kneel  and  prostrate  himself  upon  that 
two  feet  of  ragged  rug,  scarcely  sufficient  for  a British  in- 
fant to  lie  upon  ? He  hopelessly  owns  that  he  knows  no- 
thing of  his  craft,  and  the  seats  before  his  shop  are  seldom 
occupied.  His  great  pleasure  appears  to  be  when  the  Haji 
and  I sit  by  him  a few  minutes  in  the  evening,  bringing 
with  us  pipes,  which  he  assists  us  to  smoke,  and  ordering 
coffee,  which  he  insists  upon  sweetening  with  a lump  of  sugar 
from  his  little  store.  There  we  make  him  talk  and  laugh, 
and  occasionally  quote  a few  lines  strongly  savoring  of  the 
jovial : we  provoke  him  to  long  stories  about  the  love  borne 
him  in  his  student  days  by  the  great  and  holy  Shaykh  Abdul 
Rahman,  and  the  antipathy  with  which  he  was  regarded  by 
the  equally  great  and  holy  Shaykh  Nasr  el  Din,  his  memo- 
rable single  imprisonment  for  contumacy,  and  the  temperate 
but  effective  lecture,  beginning  with  u O almost  entirely 
destitute  of  shame !”  delivered  on  that  occasion  in  presence 


70  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 


of  other  under-graduates  by  the  Right  Reverend  principal 
of  his  college.  Then  we  consult  him  upon  matters  of  doc- 
trine, and  quiz  him  tenderly  about  his  powers  of  dormition, 
and  flatter  him,  or  rather  his  age,  with  such  phrases  as,  “ the 
water  from  thy  hand  is  of  the  waters  of  Zemzem,”  “ we  have 
sought  you  to  deserve  the  blessings  of  the  wise  upon  our 
undertakings.”  Sometimes,  with  interested  motives  it  must 
be  owned,  we  induce  him  to  accompany  us  to  the  Ham- 
mam,*  where  he  insists  upon  paying  the  smallest  sum,  quar- 
relling with  every  thing  and  every  body,  and  giving  the 
greatest  trouble.  We  are  generally  his  only  visitors ; ac- 
quaintances he  appears  to  have  few,  and  no  friends ; he 
must  have  had  them  once  for  he  was  rich,  not  so  now,  so 
they  have  fallen  away  from  the  poor  old  man. 

When  the  Shaykh  Mohammed  sits  with  me  or  I climb 
up  into  his  little  shop  for  the  purpose  of  receiving  a lesson 
from  him,  he  is  quite  at  his  ease,  reading  when  he  likes,  or 
making  me  read,  and  generally  beginning  each  lecture 
with  some  such  preamble  as  this : — 

“ Aywa ! aywa ! aywa  /”f  even  so,  even  so,  even  so ! 
“ we  take  refuge  with  Allah  from  the  stoned  fiend ! In 
the  name  of  Allah,  the  compassionate,  the  merciful,  and 
the  blessings  of  Allah  upon  our  lord  Mahommed,  and  his 

* The  Hammam,  or  hot  bath,  being  a kind  of  religious  establishment, 
is  one  of  the  class  of  things — so  uncomfortably  numerous  in  Eastern 
countries — left  ala  jud'aJc,  “ to  thy  generosity.’*  Consequently  you  are 
pretty  sure  to  have  something  disagreeable  there,  which  you  would 
vainly  attempt  to  avoid  by  liberality.  The  best  way  to  deal  with  all 
such  extortioners,  with  the  Lawingi  (undresser)  of  a Cairo  Hammam,  or 
the  “ jarvey”  of  a London  Hansom,  is  to  find  out  the  fare,  and  never  to  go 
beyond  it — never  to  be  generous. 

\ This  word  is  often  used  to  signify  simply  “ yes.”  It  is  corrupted 
from  A’  w’allah,  “ yes,  by  Allah.”  In  pure  Arabic  “ay”  or  “I”  is 
synonymous  with  our  “ yes”  or  “ ay ;”  and  “ Allah”  in  these  countries 
enters  somehow  into  every  other  phrase. 


THE  “SAYINGS”  OF  AN  EASTERN  DRUGGIST.  71 

family,  and  his  companions  one  and  all!  Thus  saith  the 
author,  may  Almighty  Allah  have  mercy  upon  him  ! ‘ Sec- 

tion I,  of  chapter  two,  upon  the  orders  of  prayer,’  ” &c. 

He  becomes  fiercely  sarcastic  when  I differ  with  him  in 
opinion,  especially  upon  a point  of  the  grammar,  or  the  theo- 
logy over  which  his  beard  has  grown  grey. 

“ Subhan  Allah  ! Allah  be  glorified  !*  What  words  are 
these  ? If  thou  be  right,  enlarge  thy  turban, f and  throw 
away  thy  drugs,  for  verily  it  is  better  to  quicken  men’s 
souls  than  to  destroy  their  bodies,  O Abdullah !” 

Oriental  like,  he  revels  in  giving  good  counsel. 

“ Thou  art  always  writing,  O my  brave !”  (this  is  said 
on  the  few  occasions  when  I venture  to  make  a note  in  my 
book),  “ what  evil  habit  is  this  ? Surely  thou  hast  learned 
it  in  the  lands  of  the  Frank.  Repent !” 

He  loathes  my  giving  medical  advice  gratis. 

“ Thou  hast  two  servants  to  feed,  O my  son  ! The  doc- 
tors of  Egypt  never  write  A,  B,  without  a reward.  Where- 
fore art  thou  ashamed  ? Better  go  and  sit  upon  the 
mountains  at  once,  and  say  thy  prayers  day  and  night !” 

And  finally  he  is  prodigal  of  preaching  upon  the  subject 
of  household  expenses. 

“ Thy  servant  did  write  down  2 lbs.  of  flesh  yesterday ! 
What  words  are  those,  O he  ? Dost  thou  never  say, 
4 Guard  us,  Allah,  from  the  sin  of  extravagance  ?’  ” 

He  delights  also  in  abruptly  interrupting  a serious 
subject  when  it  begins  to  weigh  upon  his  spirits.  For 
instance, 

* This  is,  of  course,  ironical : “ Allah  be  praised  for  creating  such  a 
prodigy  of  learning  as  thou  art  1” 

t The  larger  the  turban,  the  greater  are  the  individual’s  preten- 
sions to  religious  knowledge  and  respectability  of  demeanor.  This  is 
the  custom  in  Egypt,  Turkey,  Persia,  and  many  other  parts  of  the  Mos- 
lem world. 


72  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINA!!  AND  MECCAII. 

“ Now,  the  waters  of  ablution  being  of  seven  different 

kinds,  it  results  that hast  thou  a wife  ? No  ? Then, 

verily,  thou  must  buy  thee  a female  slave,  O youth  ! This 
conduct  is  not  right,  and  men  will  say  of  thee Repent- 
ance * I take  refuge  with  Allah* c of  a truth  his  mouth 

watereth  for  the  spouses  of  other  Moslems.’  ” 

But  sometimes  he  nods  over  a difficult  passage  under 
my  very  eyes,  or  he  reads  it  over  a dozen  times  in  the 
wantonness  of  idleness,  or  he  takes  what  school-boys  call  a 
long  “ shot”  most  shamelessly  at  the  signification.  When 
this  happens  I lose  my  temper,  and  raise  my  voice,  and 
shout,  u Verily  there  is  no  power  nor  might  save  in  Allah, 
the  High,  the  Great !”  Then  he  looks  at  me,  and  with 
passing  meekness  whispers — 

u Fear  Allah,  O man !” 

* Religious  formula  used  when  compelled  to  mention  anything  abo- 
minable or  polluting  to  the  lips  of  a pious  man. 


CHAPTER  V. 


THE  MOSQUE. 

The  Arab  mosque  is  an  unconscious  revival  of  the  forms 
used  from  the  earliest  ages  to  denote  by  symbolism  the 
worship  of  the  generative  and  the  creative  gods.  The 
reader  will  excuse  me  if  I only  glance  at  a subject  of  which 
the  investigation  would  require  a volume,  and  which,  dis- 
cussed at  greater  length,  would  be  out  of  place  in  such  a 
narrative  as  this. 

The  first  mosque  in  El-Islam  was  erected  by  Mohammed 
Kuba  at  El  Medinah ; shortly  afterwards,  when  he  entered 
Meccah  as  a conqueror,  he  destroyed  the  idols  of  the  Arab 
pantheon,  and  purified  that  venerable  building  of  its  abomi- 
nations. He  had  probably  observed  in  Syria  the  two  forms 
appropriated  by  the  Christians  to  their  places  of  worship, 
the  cross  and  the  Basilica ; he  therefore  preferred  a square 
to  a parallelogram,  some  authors  say  with,  others,  without 
a cloister,  for  the  prayers  of  the  “ saving  faith.”  At  length 
in  the  reign  of  El  Walid  (about  a.  h.  90)  the  cupola,  the 
niche,  and  the  minaret  made  their  appearance,  and  what  is 
called  the  Saracenic  style  became  the  order  of  the  Moslem 
world. 


4 


74  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAII  AND  MECCAH. 

From  time  immemorial,  in  hot  and  rainy  lands,  a hypae- 
thral  court  surrounded  by  a covered  portico,  either  circular 
or  square,  was  used  for  the  double  purpose  of  church  and 
mart, — a place  where  God  and  Mammon  were  worshipped 
turn  by  turn.  In  some  places  we  find  rings  of  stones,  like 
the  Persian  Pyroetheia,  in  others,  round  concave  buildings 
representing  the  vault  of  heaven,  where  fire,  the  divine 
symbol,  was  worshipped,  and  in  Arabia,  columnal  aisles, 
which,  surmounted  by  the  splendid  blue  vault,  resemble  the 
palm-grove.  The  Greeks  adopted  this  area  in  the  fanes  of 
Creator  Bacchus;  and  at  Puzzuoli,  near  Naples,  it  may  be 
seen  in  the  building  vulgarly  called  the  Temple  of  Serapis. 
It  was  equally  well  known  to  the  Celts  ; in  some  places  the 
Temenos  was  circular,  in  others  a quadrangle.  And  such 
to  the  present  day  is  the  mosque  of  El-Islam. 

Even  the  Riwak  or  porches  surrounding  the  area  in  the 
mosque,  are  a revival  of  older  forms.  “ The  range  of  square 
building  which  enclose  the  temple  of  Serapis  are  not,  pro- 
perly speaking,  parts  of  the  fane,  but  apartments  of  the 
priests,  places  for  victims,  and  sacred  utensils,  and  chapels 
dedicated  to  subordinate  deities,  introduced  by  a more 
complicated  and  corrupt  worship,  arid  probably  unknown 
to  the  founders  of  the  original  edifice.”  The  cloisters  in  the 
mosque  became  cells,  used  as  lecture  rooms,  and  libraries 
for  books  bequeathed  to  the  college.  They  are  unequal, 
because  some  are  required  to  be  of  larger,  others  to  be  of 
smaller  dimensions.  The  same  reason  causes  difference  of  size 
when  the  distribution  of  the  building  is  into  four  hyposteles 
which  open  upon  the  area ; that  in  the  direction  of  the 
Kaabah,  where  worshippers  mostly  congregate,  demanding 
greater  depth  than  the  other  three.  The  wings  were  not 
unfrequently  made  unequal,  either  from  want  of  building 
materials,  or  because  the  same  extent  of  accommodation 
was  not  required  in  both.  The  columns  were  of  different 


USE  OF  COLORS  IN  RELIGIOUS  BUILDINGS.  To 

substances ; some  of  handsome  marble,  others  of  rough 
stone  meanly  plastered  over  with  dissimilar  capitals,  vul- 
garly cut  shafts  of  various  sizes,  here  with  a pediment,  there 
without — now  turned  upside  down,  now  joined  together  by 
halves  in  the  centre,  and  almost  invariably  nescient  of  inter- 
columnar  rule.  This  is  the  result  of  Byzantine  syncretism, 
carelessly  and  ignorantly  grafted  upon  Arab  ideas  of  the 
natural  and  the  sublime.  Loving  and  admiring  the  great, 
or  rather  the  huge  in  plan,  they  care  little  for  the  execution 
of  mere  details,  and  they  have  not  the  acumen  to  discern 
the  effect  which  clumsy  workmanship,  crooked  lines,  and 
visible  joints — parts  apparently  insignificant — exercise  upon 
the  whole  of  an  edifice.  Their  use  of  colors  was  a false 
taste,  commonly  displayed  by  mankind  in  their  religious 
houses,  and  statues  of  the  gods.  The  Hindus  paint  their 
pagodas  inside  and  outside,  and  rub  vermilion,  in  token  of 
honor,  over  their  deities.  The  Persian  Colossi  of  Kaiomars 
and  his  consort  on  the  Balkh  road,  and  the  Sphynx  of 
Egypt,  as  well  as  the  temples  of  the  Nile,  still  show  traces 
of  artificial  complexion.  The  fanes  in  classic  Greece,  where 
we  might  expect  a purer  taste,  have  been  dyed.  In  the 
Forum  Romanum,  one  of  the  finest  buildings  still  bears 
stains  of  the  Tyrian  purple.  And  to  mention  no  other 
instances  in  the  churches  and  belfries  of  Modern  Italy,  we 
see  alternate  bands  of  white  and  black  material  so  disposed 
as  to  give  them  the  appearance  of  giant  zebras.  The  origin 
of  “ Arabesque”  must  be  referred  to  one  of  the  principles  of 
El-Islam.  The  Moslem,  forbidden  by  his  law  to  decorate 
his  mosque  with  statuary  and  pictures,*  supplied  their 

* That  is  to  say,  imitations  of  the  human  form.  All  the  doctors  of 
El-Islam,  however,  differ  on  this  head ; some  absolutely  forbidding  any 
delineation  of  what  has  life,  under  the  pain  of  being  cast  into  hell ; 
others  permitting  pictures  even  of  the  bodies,  though  not  of  the  faces 


^6  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAI1. 

place  with  quotations  from  the  Koran,  and  inscriptions, 
“ plastic  metaphysics,”  of  marvellous  perplexity.  His  alpha- 
bet lent  itself  to  the  purpose,  and  hence  probably  arose  that 
almost  inconceivable  variety  of  lacelike  fretwork  of  incrus- 
tations, arabesques,  and  geometric  flowers,  in  which  his 
eye  delights  to  lose  itself. 

The  Meccan  mosque  became  a model  to  the  world  of  El- 
Islam,  and  the  nations  that  embraced  the  new  faith  copied 
the  consecrated  building,  as  religiously  as  Christendom  pro- 
duced imitations  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre.*  The  mosque  of 
Omar  at  Jerusalem,  of  Amr  at  Babylon  on  the  Nile,  and 
Taylun  at  Cairo,  were  erected  with  some  trifling  improve- 
ments, such  as  the  arched  cloisters  and  inscribed  cornices, 
upon  the  plan  of  the  Kaabah.  From  Egypt  and  Palestine 
the  ichnography  spread  far  and  wide.  It  was  modified,  as 
might  be  expected,  by  national  taste.  What  in  Arabia  was 
simple  and  elegant,  became  highly  ornate  in  Spain,  florid  in 
Turkey,  and  effeminate  in  India.  Still  divergence  of  detail 
had  not,  even  after  the  lapse  of  twelve  centuries,  materially 
altered  the  fundamental  form. 

Perhaps  no  Eastern  city  affords  more  numerous  or  more 
accessible  specimens  of  mosque  architecture  than  Cairo. 
Between  300  and  400  places  of  worship,  some  stately  piles, 
others  ruinous  hovels,  many  new,  more  decaying  and  earth- 
quake shaken,  with  minarets  that  rival  in  obliquity  the 

of  men.  Other  nations  are  comparatively  lax.  The  Alhambra  abounds 
in  paintings  and  frescoes.  The  Persians  never  object  to  depict  in  books 
and  on  walls  the  battles  of  Rustam,  and  the  Turks  preserve  in  the 
Seraglio  treasury  of  Constantinople  portraits,  by  Greek  and  other 
artists,  of  their  Sultans  in  regular  succession. 

* At  Bruges,  Bologna  (St.  Stefano),  and  Nuremberg,  there  are  imi- 
tations of  the  Holy  Sepulchre.  The  Nuremberg  church  was  built  by  a 
merchant,  who  travelled  three  times  to  Palestine  in  order  to  ensure  cor- 
rectness, and  totally  failed. 


VARIOUS  MOSQUES. 


77 


Pisan  monster,  are  open  to  the  traveller’s  inspection.  And 
Europeans  by  following  the  advice  of  their  hotel-keeper, 
have  penetrated,  and  can  penetrate  into  any  one  they 
please.* 

The  Jama  Taylun  is  simple  and  massive,  yet  elegant, 
and  in  some  of  its  details  peculiar.  One  of  the  four  colon- 
nades still  remains  to  show  the  original  magnificence  of  the 
building ; the  other  porches  are  walled  in,  and  inhabited  by 
paupers. 

In  the  centre  of  a quadrangle  about  one  hundred  paces 
square  is  a domed  building  springing  from  a square  which 
occupies  the  proper  place  of  the  Kaabah.  This  “ Jama  f”  is 
interesting  as  a point  of  comparison.  If  it  be  an  exact  copy 
of  the  Meccan  temple,  as  it  stood  in  a.  d.  879,  it  shows 
that  the  latter  has  greatly  altered  in  this  our  modern 
days. 

N" ext  in  date  to  the  Taylun  Mosque  is  that  of  the  Sultan 
El  Hakim,  third  Caliph  of  the  Fatimites.  The  minarets  are 
remarkable  in  shape,  as  well  as  size : they  are  unprovided 
with  the  usual  outer  gallery,  are  based  upon  a cube  of 
masonry,  and  pierced  above  with  apertures  apparently 
meaningless.  A learned  Cairene  informed  me  that  these 
spires  were  devised  by  the  eccentric  monarch  to  disperse, 
like  large  censers,  fragrant  smoke  over  the  city  during  the 
hours  of  prayer.  The  Azhar  and  Hasanayn  Mosques  are 
celebrated  for  sanctity,  but  remarkable  for  nothing  save 
ugliness.  Few  buildings,  however,  give  a nobler  idea  of 
both  founder  and  architect  than  that  which  bears  Sultan 

* In  Niebuhr’s  time,  a Christian  passing  one  of  the  very  holy 
buildings  on  foot,  was  liable  to  be  seized  and  circumcised.  All  mosques 
may  now  be  entered  with  certain  precautions. 

f A “jama”  is  a place  where  people  assemble  to  pray — a house  of 
public  worship.  “A  masjid”  is  any  place  of  prayer,  private  or  public. 
From  “masjid”  we  derive  our  “mosque.” 


78  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

Hasan’s  name.  The  stranger  stands  almost  awe-struck 
before  walls  high  towering  without  a single  break,  a 
hypsethral  court,  severe  in  masculine  beauty,  a gateway 
that  might  suit  the  palace  of  the  Titans,  and  the  massive 
grandeur  of  its  lofty  minaret.  This  mosque,  with  its  fort- 
ress aspect,  owns  no  more  relationship  to  the  efforts  of  a 
later  age  than  does  Canterbury  Cathedral  to  an  Anglo- 
Indian  “ Gothic.”  For  dignified  elegance  and  refined  taste, 
the  mosque  and  tomb  of  Raid  Bey  and  the  other  Mameluke 
kings  are  admirable.  Even  in  their  present  state  beauty 
presides  over  decay,  and  the  traveller  has  seldom  seen  aught 
more  striking  than  the  rich  light  of  the  stained  glass  pour- 
ing through  the.  first  shades  of  evening  upon  the  marble 
floor. 

We  will  now  enter  the  El  Azliar  mosque.  At  the 
dwarf  wooden  railings  we  take  off  our  slippers,  hold  them 
in  the  left  hand,  sole  to  sole,  that  no  dirt  may  fall  from  them, 
and  cross  the  threshold  with  the  right  foot,  ejaculating 
Bismillah,  &c.  Next  we  repair  to  the  Meyzaah,  or  large 
tank,  for  ablution,  without  which  it  is  scarcely  lawful  to 
appear  in  the  house  of  Allah.  We  then  seek  some  proper 
place  for  devotion,  place  our  slippers  on  some  other  object 
in  front  of  us  to  warn  the  lounger,  and  perform  a prayer  of 
two  prostrations  in  honor  of  the  mosque.  This  done,  we 
may  wander  about,  and  consider  the  several  objects  of 
curiosity. 

The  moon  shines  splendidly  upon  a vast  hypaethral  court, 
paved  with  stones  which  are  polished  like  glass  by  the  feet 
of  the  Faithful.  There  is  darkness  in  the  body  of  the  build- 
ing, a large  parallelogrammic  hall,  at  least  twice  too  long 
for  its  height,  supported  by  a forest  of  pillars,  thin,  poor- 
looking crooked  marble  columns,  planted  avenue-like,  and 
lined  with  torn  and  dirty  matting.  A few  oil  lamps  shed 
doubtful  light  upon  scanty  groups,  who  are  debating  some 


THE  EL  AZHAR  MOSQUE. 


79 


point  of  grammar,  or  listening  to  the  words  of  wisdom  that 
fall  from  the  mouth  of  a W aiz.*  Presently  they  will  leave 
the  hypostyle,  and  throw  themselves  upon  the  flags  of  the 
quadrangle,  where  they  may  enjoy  the  open  air,  and  avoid 
some  fleas.  It  is  now  “long  vacation:”  so  the  holy  build- 
ing has  become  a kind  of  caravanserai  for  travellers ; per- 
haps a score  of  nations  meet  in  it ; there  is  a confusion  of 
tongues,  and  the  din  at  times  is  deafening.  Around  the 
court  runs  a tolerably  well-built  colonnade,  whose  entabla- 
ture is  garnished  with  crimson  arabesques,  and  in  the  inner 
wall  are  pierced  apartments,  now  closed  with  plank  doors. 
Of  the  Riwaks,  as  they  are  called,  the  Azhar  contains 
twenty-four,  one  for  each  recognised  nation  in  El-Islam,  and 
of  these,  fifteen  are  still  open  to  students.  Inside  them  we 
find  nothing  but  matting,  and  a pile  of  large  dingy  wooden 
boxes,  which  once  contained  the  college  library,  but  are 
now,  generally  speaking,  empty.f 

The  Azhar  is  the  grand  collegiate  mosque  of  this  city, — 
once  celebrated  throughout  the  world  of  El-Islam.  It  was 
built,  I was  told,  originally  in  poor  style  by  one  Jauhar,  the 
slave  of  a Moorish  merchant,  in  consequence  of  a dream 

* An  “ adviser,”  or  “ lecturer,” — any  learned  man  wlio  delivers  a 
discourse  upon  the  principles  of  El-Islam. 

f Cairo  was  once  celebrated  for  its  magnificent  collections  of  books. 
Besides  private  libraries,  each  large  mosque  had  its  bibliotheca.  But 
Cairo  has  now  for  years  supplied  other  countries  with  books,  and  the 
decay  of  religious  zeal  has  encouraged  the  unprincipled  to  steal  and 
sell  MSS.  Cairo  has  still  some  large  libraries,  but  most  of  them  are 
private  property,  and  the  proprietors  will  not  readily  lend  or  give 
access  to  their  treasures.  The  principal  opportunity  of  buying  books 
is  during  the  month  Ramazan,  when  they  are  publicly  sold  in  the 
Azhar  mosque.  The  Orientalist  will,  however,  meet  with  many  disap- 
pointments ; besides  the  difficulty  of  discovering  good  works,  he  will 
find  in  the  booksellers,  scribes,  et  hoc  genus  omne , a finished  race  of 
scoundrels. 


80  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

that  ordered  him  to  “erect  a place  whence  the  light  of 
science  should  shine  upon  El-Islam.” 

It  gradually  increased  by  “ Wakf”*  of  lands,  money, 
and  books.  Of  late  years  it  has  considerably  declined,  the 
result  of  sequestrations,  and  of  the  diminished  esteem  in 
which  the  purely  religious  sciences  are  now  held  in  the  land 
of  Egypt.  Yet  it  is  calculated  that  between  2000  and 
3000  students  of  all  nations  and  ages  receive  instruction 
here  gratis.  Each  one  is  provided  with  bread,  in  a quan- 
tity varying  with  the  amount  of  endowment  in  the  Riwak 
set  apart  for  his  nation,  with  some  article  of  clothing  on 
festival  days,  and  a few  piastres  once  a year.  The  profes- 
sors, who  are  about  150  in  number,  may  not  take  fees  from 
their  pupils ; some  lecture  on  account  of  the  religious  merit 
of  the  action,  others  to  gain  the  high  title  of  “ Teacher  in 
El  Azhar.” 

The  following  is  the  course  of  study  in  the  Azhar.  The 
school-boy  of  four  or  five  years’  standing  has  been  taught, 
by  a liberal  application  of  the  maxim,  “ the  green  rod  is  of 
the  trees  of  Paradise,”  to  chaunt  the  Koran  without  under- 
standing it,  the  elementary  rules  of  arithmetic,  and,  if  he  is 
destined  to  be  a learned  man,  the  art  of  writing. 
He  then  registers  his  name  in  El  Azhar,  and  applies  him- 
self to  the  branches  of  study  most  cultivated  in  El- 
Islam,  namely  Nahw  (syntax),  Fikh  (divinity),  Hadis  (the 
traditions  of  the  Prophet),  and  Tafsir,  or  exposition  of  the 
Koran. 

The  young  Egyptian  reads  at  the  same  time  the  Sarf, 
or  the  Grammar  of  the  Verb,  and  El  Nahw,  or  the  Gram- 
mar and  Syntax  of  the  Noun.  But  as  Arabic  is  his  mother- 
tongue,  he  is  not  required  to  study  the  former  so  deeply  as 
are  the  Turks,  the  Persians,  and  the  Indians.  If  he  desire, 


* An  “entailed  bequest.1 


THE  COURSE  OF  STUDY  IN  EL  AZHAR. 


81 


however,  to  be  a proficient,  he  must  carefully  peruse  five 
books  in  El  Sarf*,  and  six  in  El  Nahw.f 

Master  of  grammar,  our  student  now  applies  himself  to 
its  proper  end  and  purpose,  Divinity.  Of  the  four  schools, 
those  of  Abu  Hanifah  and  El  Shafei  are  most  common  in 
Cairo ; the  followers  of  Ibn  Malik  abound  only  in  Southern 
Egypt  and  the  Berberah  country,  and  the  Hanbali  is  al- 
most unknown.  The  theologian  begins  with  what  is  called 
a Matn  or  text,  a short,  dry,  and  often  obscure  treatise,  a 
mere  string  of  precepts;  in  fact,  the  skeleton  of  the  subject. 
This  he  learns  by  repeated  perusal,  till  he  can  quote  almost 
every  passage  literally.  He  then  passes*  to  its  “ Sharh,”  or 
commentary,  generally  the  work  of  some  other  savant,  who 
explains  the  difficulty  of  the  text,  amplifies  its  Laconicisms, 
enters  into  exceptional  cases,  and  deals  with  principles  and 
reasons,  as  well  as  with  mere  precept. 

In  order  to  become  a Fakih,  or  divine  of  distinguished 
fame,  the  follower  of  Abu  Hanifah  must  peruse  about  ten 

* The  popular  volumes  are,  1.  El  Amsilah,  showing  the  simple  con- 
jugation of  the  triliteral  verb;  2.  Bisia,  the  work  of  some  unknown 
author,  explaining  the  formation  of  the  verb  into  increased  infinities, 
the  quadrilateral  verb,  (fee. ; 3.  The  Maksua,  a well-known  book  written 
by  the  great  Imam  Abu*  Hanifah ; 4.  The  “ Izzi,”  an  explanatory  treat- 
ise, the  work  of  a Turk,  “ Izzah  Effendi.”  And  lastly,  the  Marah  of 
Ahmed  el  Saudi.  These  five  tracts  are  bound  together  in  a little 
volume,  printed  at  the  government  establishment. 

El  Amsilah  is  explained  in  Turkish,  to  teach  boys  the  art  of  “ parsing 
Egyptians  generally  confine  themselves  in  El  Sarf  to  the  Izzi,  and  the 
Lamiyat  el  Afal  of  the  grammarian  Ibn  Malik. 

f First,  the  well-known  “ Ajrumiyah  ” (printed  by  M.  Yaucelle),  and 
its  commentary,  El  Kafrawi.  Thirdly,  the  Alfiyyah  (Thousand  Distichs) 
of  Ibn  Malik,  written  in  verse  for  mnemonic  purposes,  but  thereby  ren- 
dered so  difficult  as  to  require  the  lengthy  commentary  of  El  Ashmumi. 
The  fifth  is  the  well-known  work  called  the  Katr  el  Nidu  (the  Dew 
Drop),  celebrated  from  Cairo  to  Cabul;  and  last  of  all  the  “Azhari.” 

4* 


82  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

volumes,  some  of  huge  size,  written  in  a diffuse  style : the 
Shafei’s  reading  is  not  quite  so  extensive.  Theology  is 
much  studied,  because  it  leads  directly  to  the  gaining  of 
daily  bread,  as  priest  or  tutor ; and  other  scientific  pursuits 
are  neglected  for  the  opposite  reason. 

The  theologian  in  Egypt,  as  in  other  parts  of  El  Islam, 
must  have  a superficial  knowledge  of  the  Prophet’s  tradi- 
tions. Of  these  there  are  eight  well  known  collections,  but 
the  three  first  only  are  those  generally  read. 

School-boys  are  instructed,  almost  when  in  their  infancy, 
to  intone  the  Koran ; at  the  university  they  are  taught  a 
more  exact  system  of  chaunting.  The  style  called  “Hafs” 
is  most  common  in  Egypt,  as  it  is  indeed  throughout  the 
Moslem  world.  And  after  learning  to  read  the  holy  volume, 
some  savans  are  ambitious  enough  to  wish  to  understand  it : 
under  these  circumstances  they  must  dive  into  the  exposition 
of  the  Koran. 

Our  student  is  now  a perfect  Fakih  or  Mulla.  But  the 
poor  fellow  has  no  scholarship  or  fellowship — no  easy  tutor- 
ship— no  fat  living  to  look  forward  to.  After  wasting  seven 
years,  or  twice  seven  years,  over  his  studies,  and  reading 
till  his  brain  is  dizzy,  his  digestion  gone,  and  his  eyes  half 
blind,  he  must  either  starve  upon  college  alms,  or  squat, 
like  my  old  Shaykh  Mohammed,  in  a druggist’s  shop,  or 
become  pedagogue  and  curate  in  some  country  place,  on  the 
pay  of  8/.  per  annum.  With  such  prospects  it  is  wonderful 
how  the  Azhar  can  present  any  attractions ; but  the  southern 
man  is  essentially  an  idler,  and  many  become  Olema,  like 
Capuchins,  in  order  to  do  nothing.  A favored  few  rise  to 
the  degree  of  Mudarris  (professors),  and  thence  become 
Kazis  and  Muftis.  This  is  another  inducement  to  matricu- 
late ; every  undergraduate  having  an  eye  upon  the  Wazi-ship, 
with  as  much  chance  of  obtaining  it  as  the  country  paroco 
has  to  become  a cardinal.  Others  again  devote  themselves 


MOSLEM  EDUCATION. 


83 


to  laical  pursuits,  degenerate  into  Wakils  (lawyers),  or  seek 
their  fortunes  as  Katibs — public  or  private  accountants.* 

To  conclude  this  part  of  the  subject,  I cannot  agree 
with  Dr.  Bowring  when  he  harshly  says,  upon  the  sub- 
ject of  Moslem  education:  “The  instruction  given  by  the 
Doctors  of  the  law  in  the  religious  schools,  for  the  formation 
of  the  Mohammedan  priesthood,  is  of  the  most  worthless 
character.”  His  opinion  is  equally  open  to  objection  with 
that  of  those  who  depreciate  the  law  itself  because  it  deals 
rather  in  precepts  than  in  principle,  in  ceremonies  and  ordi- 
nances, rather  than  in  ethics  and  aesthetics.  Both  are  what 
Eastern  faiths  and  Eastern  training  have  ever  been, — both 
are  eminently  adapted  for  the  child-like  state  of  the  Oriental 
mind.  When  the  people  learn  to  appreciate  ethics,  and  to 
understand  psychics  and  aesthetics,  the  demand  will  create  a 
supply.  Meanwhile  they  leave  transcendentalism  to  their 
poets,  and  busy  themselves  with  preparing  for  heaven  by 
practising  the  only. part  of  their  faith  now  intelligible  to 
them — the  material. 

It  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  a people  in  this  stage  of 
civilization  could  be  so  fervently  devout  as  the  Egyptians 
are  without  the  bad  leaven  of  bigotry.  The  same  tongue 
which  is  employed  in  blessing  the  Almighty,  is,  it  is  con- 
ceived, doing  its  work  equally  well  in  cursing  his  enemies. 

* As  a specimen  of  the  state  of  periodical  literature  in  Egypt,  I may 
quote  the  history  of  the  “ Bulak  Independent,”  as  Europeans  facetiously 
call  it.  When  Mohammed  Ali,  determining  to  have  an  “ organ,”  directed 
an  officer  to  be  editor  of  a weekly  paper,  the  officer  replied,  that  no  one 
would  read  it,  and  consequently  that  no  one  would  pay  for  it.  The 
Pacha  remedied  this  by  an  order  that  a subscription  should  be  struck 
off  from  the  pay  of  all  employees,  European  and  Egyptian,  whose  salary 
amounted  to  a certain  sum.  Upon  which  the  editor  accepted  the  task, 
but  being  paid  before  his  work  was  published,  he  of  course  never  supplied 
his  subscribers  with  their  copies. 


84  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

Wherefore  the  Kafir  is  denounced  by  every  sex,  age,  class, 
and  condition,  by  the  man  of  the  world,  as  by  the  boy  at 
the  school,  out  of,  as  well  as  in,  the  mosque.  If  you  ask 
your  friend  who  is  the  person  with  a black  turban,  he 
replies, 

“ A Christian.  Allah  make  his  countenance  cold  !” 

If  you  inquire  of  your  servant,  who  are  the  people  sing- 
ing in  the  next  house,  it  is  ten  to  one  that  his  answer  will 
be, 

“ A Jew.  May  his  lot  be  Jehannum !” 

It  appears  unintelligible,  still  it  is  not  less  true,  that 
Egyptians  who  have  lived  as  servants  under  European 
roofs  for  years,  retain  the  liveliest  loathing  for  the  manners 
and  customs  of  their  masters.  Few  Franks,  save  those 
who  have  mixed  with  the  Egyptians  in  Oriental  disguise, 
are  aware  of  their  repugnance  to,  and  contempt  for,  Euro- 
peans— so  well  is  the  feeling  veiled  under  the  garb  of 
innate  politeness,  and  so  great  is  their  reserve,  when  con- 
versing with  those  of  strange  religions.  I had  a good 
opportunity  of  ascertaining  the  truth  when  the  first  rumor 
of  a Russian  war  arose.  Almost  every  able-bodied  man 
spoke  of  hastening  to  the  Jihan,*  and  the  only  thing  that 
looked  like  apprehension  was  the  too  eager  depreciation  of 
their  foes.  All  seemed  delighted  at  the  idea  of  French 
co-operation,  for,  somehow  or  other,  the  Frenchman  is 
everywhere  popular.  When  speaking  of  England,  they 
were  not  equally  easy  : heads  were  rolled,  pious  sentences 
were  ejaculated,  and  finally  out  came  the  old  Eastern  cry, 
“ Of  a truth  they  are  Shaitans,  those  English.”  The 
Austrians  are  despised,  because  the  East  knows  nothing  of 
them  since  the  days  of  Osmanlee  hosts  threatened  the  gates 
of  Vienna.  The  Greeks  are  hated  as  clever  scoundrels, 


* A crusade,  a holy  war. 


LONGING  OP  THE  EGYPTIANS  POE  EUROPEAN  RULE.  85 


ever  ready  to  do  El-Islam  a mischief.  The  Maltese,  the 
greatest  of  cowards  off  their  own  ground,  are  regarded 
with  a profound  contempt : these  are  the  proteges  which 
bring  the  British  nation  into  disrepute  at  Cairo.  And 
Italians  are  known  only  as  “ istruttori ” and  “ distruttori ” — 
doctors,  druggists,  and  pedagogues. 

Yet  Egyptian  human  nature  is,  like  human  nature 
everywhere,  contradictory.  Hating  and  despising  Euro- 
peans, they  still  long  for  European  rule.  This  people 
admire  an  iron-handed  and  lion-hearted  despotism;  they 
hate  a timid  and  grinding  tyranny. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


PREPARATIONS  TO  QUIT  CAIRO. 

Besides  patients  I had  made  some  pleasant  acquaintances 
at  Cairo.  Anton  Zananire,  a young  Syrian  of  considerable 
attainments  as  a linguist,  paid  me  the  compliment  of  per- 
mitting me  to  see  the  fair  face  of  his  “Hareem.”  Mr. 
Hatchadoor  Noory,  an  Armenian  gentleman,  well  known 
in  Bombay,  amongst  other  acts  of  kindness,  introduced  me 
to  one  of  his  compatriots,  Khwayah  Yusuf,  whose  advice, 
as  an  old  traveller,  was  most  useful  to  me.  He  had  wan- 
dered far  and  wide,  picking  up  everywhere  some  scrap  of 
strange  knowledge,  and  his  history  was  a romance.  Ex- 
pelled for  a youthful  peccadillo  from  Cairo,  he  started  upon 
his  travels,  qualified  himself  for  sanctity  at  Meccah  and  El 
Medinah,  became  a religious  beggar  at  Bagdad,  studied 
French  at  Paris,  and  finally  settled  down  as  a professor  of 
languages,  under  an  amnesty,  at  Cairo.  In  his  house  I 
saw  an  Armenian  marriage.  The  occasion  was  a memorable 
one:  after  the  gloom  and  sameness  of  Moslem  society, 
nothing  could  be  more  gladdening  than  the  unveiled  face 
of  a pretty  woman.  Some  of  the  guests  were  undeniably 
charming  brunettes,  with  the  blackest  possible  locks,  and 


THE  PILGRIM’S  COMPANION. 


87 


the  brightest  conceivable  eyes ; only  one  pretty  girl  wore 
the  national  costume  ;*  yet  they  all  smoked  chibouques  and 
sat  upon  the  divans,  and  as  they  entered  the  room,  with  a 
sweet  simplicity,  kissed  the  hands  of  the  priest,  and  of  the 
other  old  gentlemen  present. 

Among  the  number  of  my  acquaintances  was  a Meccan 
boy,  Mohammed  El  Basyuni,  from  whom  I bought  the 
pilgrim-garb  called  “ El-ihram”  and  the  Kafan  or  shroud, 
with  which  the  Moslem  usually  starts  upon  such  a journey 
as  mine  was.  He,  being  on  his  way  homewards  after  a 
visit  to  Constantinople,  was  most  anxious  to  accompany  me 
in  the  character  of  a “ companion.”  But  he  had  travelled 
too  much  to  suit  me ; he  had  visited  India,  seen  English- 
men, and  lived  with  the  “ Nawwab  Baloo”  of  Surat. 
Moreover,  he  showed  signs  of  over- wisdom.  He  had  been 
a regular  visitor,  till  I cured  one  of  his  friends  of  an 
ophthalmia,  after  which  he  gave  me  his  address  at  Meccah, 
and  was  seen  no  more.  Haji  Wali  described  him  and  his 
party  to  be  “ Nas  jarrar”  (extractors)  and  certainly  he  had 
not  misjudged  them.  But  the  sequel  will  prove  how  Pro- 
vidence disposes  of  what  man  proposes,  and  as  the  boy, 
Mohammed,  eventually  did  become  my  companion  through- 
out the  pilgrimage,  I will  place  him  before  the  reader  as 
summarily  as  possible. 

He  is  a beardless  youth,  of  about  eighteen,  chocolate 
brown,  with  high  features,  and  a bold  profile ; his  bony  and 
decided  Meccan  cast  of  face  is  lit  up  by  the  peculiar 
Egyptian  eye,  which  seems  to  descend  from  generation  to 

* It  has  been  too  frequently  treated  of,  to  leave  room  for  a fresh 
description.  Though  pretty  and  picturesque,  it  is  open  to  the  reproach 
of  Moslem  dressing,  namely,  that  the  in-door  toilette  admits  of  a display 
of  bust,  and  is  generally  so  scanty  and  flimsy  that  it  is  unfit  to  meet 
the  eye  of  a stranger.  This,  probably  the  effect  of  secluding  women, 
has  now  become  a cause  for  concealing  them. 


88  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

generation.  His  figure  was  short  and  broad,  with  a ten- 
dency to  be  obese,  the  result  of  a strong  stomach  and  the 
power  of  sleeping  at  discretion.  He  could  read  a little, 
write  his  name,  and  was  uncommonly  clever  at  a bargain. 
Meccah  had  taught  him  to  speak  excellent  Arabic,  to 
understand  the  literary  dialect,  to  be  eloquent  in  abuse, 
and  to  be  profound  at  prayer  and  pilgrimage.  Constan- 
tinople had  given  him  a taste  for  Anacreontic  singing,  and 
female  society  of  the  questionable  kind,  a love  of  strong- 
waters, — the  hypocrite  looked  positively  scandalised  when 
I first  suggestedthe  subject, — and  an  off-hand  latitudinarian 
mode  of  dealing  with  serious  subjects  in  general.  I found 
him  to  be  the  youngest  son  of  a widow,  whose  doting  fond- 
ness had  moulded  his  disposition  ; he  was  selfish  and  affec- 
tionate, as  spoiled  children  usually  are,  volatile,  easily 
offended,  and  as  easily  pacified  (the  Oriental),  coveting 
other  men’s  goods,  and  profuse  of  his  own  (the  Arab),  with 
a matchless  intrepidity  of  countenance  (the  traveller),  brazen 
lunged,  not  more  than  half  brave,  exceedingly  astute,  with 
an  acute  sense  of  honor,  especially  where  his  relations  were 
concerned  (the  individual).  I have  seen  him  in  a fit  of 
fury  because  some  one  cursed  his  father ; and  he  and  I 
nearly  parted  because  on  one  occasion  I applied  to  him  an 
epithet  which,  etymologically  considered,  might  be  exceed- 
ingly insulting  to  a high-minded  brother,  but  which  in  popu- 
lar parlance  signifies  nothing.  This  “point  d'honneur”  was 
the  boy  Mohammed’s  strong  point. 

During  my  residence  in  Cairo  I laid  in  my  stores  for  the 
journey.  These  consisted  of  tea,  coffee,  rice,  loaf-sugar, 
dates,  oil,  vinegar,  tobacco,  lanterns,  and  cooking  utensils, 
a small  bell-shaped  tent,  costing  twelve  shillings,  and  three 
water  skins  for  the  desert.  The  provisions  were  placed  in 
a 44  Kafas”  or  hamper  artistically  made  of  palm  sticks,  and 
in  a huge  Sahharah,  or  wooden  box,  about  three  feet  each 


A LETTER  OF  CREDIT. 


89 


way,  covered  with  leather  or  skin,  and  provided  with  a 
small  lid  fitting  into  the  top.  The  former,  together  with 
my  green  box  containing  medicines,  and  saddle-bags  full  of 
clothes,  hung  on  one  side  of  the  camel,  a counterpoise  to 
the  big  Sahharah  on  the  other  flank,  Bedouins  alwrays 
requiring  a tolerably  equal  balance  of  weight.  On  the  top 
of  the  load  transversely  was  placed  a Shibriyah  or  cot,  in 
which  Shaykh  Nur  squatted  like  a large  crow.  This 
worthy  had  strutted  out  into  the  streets  armed  wTith  a pair 
of  horse-pistols  and  a sword  almost  as  long  as  himself.  No 
sooner  did  the  mischievous  boys  of  Cairo — they  are  as 
bad  as  the  gamins  of  Paris  and  London — catch  sight  of 
him  than  they  began  to  scream  with  laughter  at  the  sight 
of  the  “ Hindi  (Indian)  in  arms,”  till  like  a vagrant  owl  pur- 
sued by  a flight  of  larks  he  ran  back  into  the  caravanserai. 

Having  spent  all  my  ready  money  at  Cairo  I was  obliged 
to  renew  the  supply.  My  native  friends  advised  me  to  take 
at  least  eighty  pounds,  and  considering  the  expense  of  out- 
fit for  desert  travelling,  the  sum  did  not  appear  excessive. 
I should  have  found  some  difficulty  in  raising  the  money 
had  it  not  been  for  the  kindness  of  a friend  at  Alexandria 
and  a compatriot  at  Cairo.  My  Indians  scrutinised  the 
diminutive  square  paper* — my  letter  of  credit — as  a raven 

* At  my  final  interview  with  the  committee  of  the  Royal  Geo- 
graphical Society,  one  member  advised  an  order  to  be  made  ont  on  the 
Society’s  bankers ; another,  kindly  offered  to  give  me  one  on  his  own, 
Coutts,  <fcc. ; but  I,  having  more  experience  in  Oriental  travelling, 
begged  only  to  be  furnished  with  a most  diminutive  piece  of  paper 
permitting  me  to  draw  upon  the  Society,  which  was  at  once  given  by 
Dr.  Shaw,  the  Secretary,  and  which  proved  of  so  much  use  eventually. 

It  was  purposely  made  as  small  as  possible,  in  order  to  fit  into  a 
talisman  case.  But  the  traveller  must  bear  in  mind,  that  if  his  letters 
of  credit  be  addressed  to  Orientals,  the  sheet  of  paper  should  always 
be  large,  and  grand-looking.  These  people  have  no  faith  in  notes, — 
commercial,  epistolary,  or  diplomatic. 


90  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINA!!  AND  MECCAH. 

may  sometimes  be  seen  peering,  with  head  askance,  into  the 
interior  of  a suspected  marrow-bone.  “ Can  this  be  a bond 
fide  draft?”  they  mentally  inquired.  And  finally  they 
offered,  most  politely,  to  write  to  England  for  me  to  draw 
the  money,  and  to  forward  it  in  a sealed  bag  directed  “ El 
Medinah.”  I need  scarcely  say  that  such  a style  of  trans- 
mission would,  in  the  case  of  precious  metals,  have  left  no 
possible  chance  of  its  safe  arrival.  When  the  difficulty  was 
overcome,  I bought  fifty  pounds  worth  of  German  dollars, 
and  invested  the  rest  in  English  and  Turkish  sovereigns. 
The  gold  I myself  carried ; part  of  the  silver  I sewed  up  in 
Shaykh  Nur’s  leather  waistbelt,  and  part  was  packed  in  the 
boxes,  for  this  reason, — when  Bedouins  begin  plundering  a 
respectable  man,  if  they  find  a certain  amount  of  ready 
money  in  his  baggage,  they  do  not  search  his  person.  If 
they  find  none  they  proceed  to  a personal  inspection,  and  if 
his  waist-belt  be  empty  they  are  rather  disposed  to  rip  open 
his  stomach,  in  the  belief  that  he  must  have  discovered 
some  peculiarly  ingenious  way  of  secreting  valuables.  Hav- 
ing got  through  this  difficulty  I immediately  fell  into 
another.  My  hardly-earned  Alexandrian  passport  required 
a double  viza,  one  at  the  Zabit’s  office,  the  other  at  the  con- 
sul’s. After  returning  to  Egypt  I found  it  was  the  practice 
of  travellers  who  required  any  civility  from  the  English 
official  at  Cairo  to  enter  the  presence  furnished  with  an 
order  from  the  Foreign  Office. 

I had  neglected  the  precaution,  and  had  ample  reason 
to  regret  having  done  so.  Failing  at  the  British  consulate, 
and  unwilling  to  leave  Cairo  without  being  “ en  rbglefi — 
the  Egyptians  warned  me  that  Suez  was  a place  of  obsta- 
cles to  pilgrims — I was  obliged  to  look  elsewhere  for  pro- 
tection. My  friend  Haji  Wali  was  the  first  consulted : after 
a long  discussion  he  offered  to  take  me  to  his  consul,  the 
Persian,  and  to  find  out  for  what  sum  I could  become  a 


PASSPORT  TROUBLES. 


91 


temporary  subject  of  the  Shah.  We  went  to  the  sign  of 
the  “ Lion  and  the  Sun,”  and  found  the  dragoman,  a subtle 
Syrian  Christian,  who,  after  a rigid  inquiry  into  the  state  of 
my  purse  (my  country  was  no  consideration  at  all),  intro- 
duced me  to  the  Great  Man.  I have  described  this  person- 
age once  already,  and  truly  he  merits  not  a second  notice. 
The  interview  was  a ludicrous  one.  He  treated  us  with 
exceeding  hauteur , motioned  me  to  sit  almost  out  of  hear- 
ing, and  after  rolling  his  head  in  profound  silence  for  nearly 
a quarter  of  an  hour,  vouchsafed  the  information  that  though 
my  father  might  be  a Shirazi,  and  my  mother  an  Afghan, 
he  had  not  the  honor  of  my  acquaintance.  His  companion, 
a large  old  Persian  with  Polyphemean  eyebrows  and  a mul- 
berry beard,  put  some  gruff  and  discouraging  questions. 
So  I quoted  the  verses 

“ He  is  a man  who  benefits  his  fellow  men, 

Hot  he  who  says  ‘ why,’  and  4 wherefore,’  and  4 how  much?’  ” 

upon  which  an  imperious  wave  of  the  arm  directed  me  to 
return  to  the  dragoman,  who  had  the  effrontery  to  ask  me 
four  pounds  sterling  for  a Persian  passport.  I offered  one. 
He  derided  my  offer,  and  I went  away  perplexed.  On  my 
return  to  Cairo  some  months  afterwards,  he  sent  to  say  that 
had  he  known  me  as  an  Englishman,  I should  have  had  the 
document  gratis, — a civility  for  which  he  was  duly  thanked. 

At  last  my  Shaykh  Mohammed  hit  upon  the  plan. 
“ Thou  art,”  said  he,  “ an  Afghan,  I will  fetch  hither  the 
principal  of  the  Afghan  college  at  the  Azahar,  and  he,  if 
thou  make  it  worth  his  white  ” (this  in  a whisper)  “ will  be 
thy  friend.”  The  case  was  looking  desperate ; my  preceptor 
was  urged  to  lose  no  time. 

Presently  Shaykh  Mohammed  returned  in  company 
with  the  principal,  a little,  thin,  ragged-bearded,  one-eyed, 


92  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

hare-lipped  divine,  dressed  in  very  dirty  clothes,  of  nonde- 
script cut.  Born  at  Muscat  of  Afghan  parents,  and  brought 
up  at  Meccah,  he  was  a kind  of  cosmopolite,  speaking  five 
languages  fluently,  and  full  of  reminiscences  of  toil  and  travel. 
He  refused  pipes  and  coffee,  professing  to  he  ascetically 
disposed  : but  he  ate  more  than  half  my  dinner,  to  reassure 
me  I presume,  should  I have  been  fearful  that  abstinence 
might  injure  his  health.  We  then  chatted  in  sundry  tongues. 
I offered  certain  presents  of  books,  which  were  rejected 
(such  articles  being  valueless),  and  the  Shaykh  Abd  el 
Wahhab  having  expressed  his  satisfaction  at  my  account  of 
myself,  told  me  to  call  for  him  at  the  Azhar  mosque  next 
morning. 

Accordingly  at  six  a.m.  Shaykh  Mohammed  and  Abdullah 
Khan,* — the  latter  equipped  in  a gigantic  sprigged-muslin 
turban,  so  as  to  pass  for  a student  of  theology — repaired  to  El 
Azhar.  Passing  through  the  open  quadrangle  we  entered 
the  large  hall  which  forms  the  body  of  the  mosque.  In  the 
northern  wall  was  a dwarf  door,  leading  by  breakneck  stairs 
to  a pigeon-hole,  the  study  of  the  learned  Afghan  Shaykh. 
We  found  him  ensconced  behind  piles  of  musty  and  greasy 
manuscripts,  surrounded  by  scholars  and  scribes,  with  whom 
he  was  cheapening  books.  He  had  not  much  business  to 
transact ; but  long  before  he  was  ready,  the  stifling  atmo- 
sphere drove  us  out  of  the  study,  and  we  repaired  to  the 
hall.  Presently  the  Shaykh  joined  us,  and  we  all  rode  on 
away  to  the  citadel,  and  waited  in  a mosque  till  the  office 
hour  struck.  When  the  doors  were  opened  we  went  into 
the  “ divan,”  and  sat  patiently  till  the  Shaykh  found  an  op- 
portunity of  putting  in  a word.  The  officials  were  two  in 
number ; one  an  old  invalid,  very  thin  and  sickly-looking, 

* Khan  is  a title  assumed  in  India  and  other  countries  by  all 
Afghans,  and  Pathans,  their  descendants,  simple  as  well  as  gentle. 


THE  PASSPORT  OBTAINED. 


93 


dressed  in  the  Turco-European  style,  whose  hand  was  being 
severely  kissed  by  a troop  of  religious  beggars,  to  whom  he 
had  done  some  small  favors ; the  other  was  a stout  young 
clerk,  whose  duty  it  was  to  engross,  and  not  to  have  his 
hand  kissed. 

My  name  and  other  essentials  were  required,  and  no 
objections  were  offered,  for  who  holier  than  the  Shaykh 
Abd  el  Wahhab  ibn  Yunus  el  Sulaymani?  The  clerk 
filled  up  a paper  in  the  Turkish  language,  apparently  bor- 
rowed from  the  European  method  for  spoiling  the  traveller, 
certified  me,  upon  the  Shaykh’s  security,  to  be  one  Abdullah, 
the  son  of  Yusuf  (Joseph),  originally  from  Cabool,  described 
my  person,  and  in  exchange  for  five  piastres  handed  me  the 
document.  I received  it  with  joy,  and  still  keep  it  as  a trophy. 

With  bows,  and  benedictions,  arid  many  wishes  that 
Allah  might  make  it  the  officials’  fate  to  become  pilgrims, 
we  left  the  office,  and  returned  towards  El  Azhar.  When 
we  had  nearly  reached  the  mosque,  Shaykh  Mohammed 
lagged  behind,  and  made  the  sign.  I drew  near  the 
Afghan,  and  asked  for  his  hand.  He  took  the  hint,  and 
muttering  “it  is  no  matter  ! ” — “ it  is  not  necessary — ■“  by 
Allah  it  is  not  required !”  extended  his  fingers,  and  brought 
the  musculus  “ guineorum ” to  bear  upon  three  dollars. 

Poor  man ! I believe  it  was  his  necessity  that  con- 
sented to  be  paid  for  the  doing  a common  act  of  Moslem 
charity ; he  had  a wife  and  children,  and  the  calling  of  an 
Alim  * is  no  longer  worth  much  in  Egypt. 

I wasted  but  little  time  in  taking  leave  of  my  friends, 
telling  them  by  way  of  precaution,  that  my  destination  was 
Meccah  via  Jeddah,  and  firmly  determining,  if  possible,  to 
make  El  Medinah  via  Yambu.  “ Conceal,”  says  the  Arabic 
proverb,  “ thy  tenets,  thy  treasure,  and  thy  travelling.” 


A theologian,  a learned  man. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


FROM  CAIRO  TO  SUEZ. 

Shaykh  Nassar,  a Bedouin  of  Tur  (Mount  Sinai),  being  on 
his  way  homewards,  agreed  to  let  me  have  two  dromedaries 
for  the  sum  of  50  piastres,  or  about  ten  shillings  each.  Being 
desirotis  to  start  with  a certain  display  of  respectability,  I 
accepted  these  terms  : a man  of  humble  pretensions  would 
have  travelled  with  a single  animal,  and  a camel-man  run- 
ning behind  him.  But,  besides  ostentation,  I wanted  my 
attendant  to  be  mounted,  that  we  might  make  a forced 
march  in  order  to  ascertain  how  much  a four  years’  life  of 
European  effeminacy  had  impaired  my  powers  of  endurance. 
The  reader  may  believe  the  assertion  that  there  are  few 
better  tests  than  an  eighty-four  mile  ride  in  midsummer,  on 
a bad  wooden  saddle,  borne  by  a worse  dromedary,  across 
a desert. 

I started  my  Indian  boy  and  heavy  luggage  for  Suez 
two  days  before  the  end  of  the  Eed, — laden  camels  gene- 
rally taking  fifty-five  or  sixty  hours  to  do  the  journey,  and 
I spent  the  intermediate  time  with  Haji  Wali.  He  advised 
me  to  mount  about  3 p.  m.,  so  that  I might  arrive  at  Suez 
on  the  evening  of  the  next  day,  and  assisted  me  in  making 


LEAVE-TAKINGS. 


95 


due  preparations  of  water,  provisions,  tobacco,  and  a bed 
for  the  road.  Early  on  the  morning  of  departure  the 
Afghan  Shaykh  came  to  the  caravanserai,  and  breakfasted 
with  us,  “ because  Allah  willed  it.”  After  a copious  meal 
he  bestowed  upon  me  a stately  benediction,  and  would 
have  embraced  me,  but  I humbly  kissed  his  hand : sad  to 
relate,  immediately  that  his  back  was  turned,  Haji  Wali 
raised  his  forefinger  to  a right  angle  with  the  palm,  and 
burst  into  a shout  of  irreverent  laughter.  At  3 o’clock 
Nassar,  the  Bedouin,  came  to  announce  that  the  drome- 
daries were  saddled.  I dressed  myself,  sticking  a pistol  in 
my  belt,  and  passing  the  crimson  silk  cord  of  the  hamail  or 
pocket  Koran  over  my  shoulder,  in  token  of  being  a pilgrim 
— distributing  a few  trifling  presents  to  friends  and  servants, 
and  accompanied  by  the  Shaykh  Mohammed,  and  Haji 
Wali,  descended  the  stairs  with  an  important  gait.  In  the 
court-yard  sat  the  camels,  (dromedaries  they  could  not  be 
called,)  and  I found  that  a second  driver  was  going  to 
accompany  us.  I objected  to  this,  as  the  extra  Bedouin 
would,  of  course,  expect  to  be  fed  by  me;  but  Nassar  swore 
the  man  was  his  brother,  and,  as  you  rarely  gain  by  small 
disputes  with  these  people,  he  was  allowed  to  have  his 
own  way. 

Then  came  the  preparatory  leave-takings.  Haji  Wali 
embraced  me  heartily,  and  so  did  my  poor  old  Shaykh,  who, 
despite  his  decrepitude  and  my  objections,  insisted  upon 
accompanying  me  to  the  city  gate.  I mounted  the  camel, 
crossed  my  legs  before  the  pommel — stirrups  are  not  used 
in  Egypt — and,  preceding  my  friend,  descended  the  street 
leading  towards  the  dessert.  As  we  emerged  from  the 
huge  gateway  of  the  caravanserai  all  the  bystanders  ex- 
claimed, “ Allah  bless  thee,  Y’al  Hajj,*  and  restore  thee  to 


* “0  pilgrim!5 


96  A PILGItIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

thy  country  and  thy  friends !”  And  passing  through  the 
Bab  el  Nasr,  where  I addressed  the  salutation  of  peace  to 
the  sentry,  and  to  the  officer  commanding  the  guard,  both 
gave  me  God-speed  with  great  cordiality — the  pilgrim’s 
blessing  in  Asia,  like  the  old  woman’s  in  Europe,  being  sup- 
posed to  possess  peculiar  efficacy.  Outside  the  gate  my 
friends  took  a final  leave  of  me,  and  I will  not  deny  having 
felt  a tightening  of  heart  as  their  honest  faces  and  forms 
faded  in  the  distance. 

But  Shaykh  Nassar  switches  his  camel’s  shoulder,  and 
appears  inclined  to  take  the  lead.  This  is  a trial  of  man- 
liness. There  is  no  time  for  emotion.  Not  a moment  can 
be  spared,  even  for  a retrospect.  I kick  my  dromedary, 
who  steps  out  into  a jog-trot.  The  Bedouins  with  a loud 
ringing  laugh  attempt  to  give  me  the  go-by.  I resist,  and 
we  continue  like  children  till  the  camels  are  at  their  speed, 
though  we  have  eighty-four  miles  before  us,  and  above  an 
atmosphere  like  a furnace  blast.  The  road  is  deserted 
at  this  hour,  otherwise  grave  Moslem  travellers  would 
have  believed  the  police  to  be  nearer  than  convenient 
to  us. 

Presently  we  drew  rein,  and  exchanged  our  pace  for 
one  more  seasonable,  whilst  the  sun  began  to  tell  on  man 
and  beast.  High  raised  as  we  were  above  the  ground,  the 
reflected  heat  struck  us  sensibly,  and  the  glare  of  a maca- 
damized road  added  a few  extra  degrees  of  caloric.*  The 

* It  is  Prince  Puckler  Muskau,  if  I recollect  rightly,  who  mentions 
that  in  his  case  a pair  of  dark  spectacles  produced  a marked  difference 
of  apparent  temperature,  whilst  travelling  over  the  sultry  sand  of  the 
desert.  I have  often  remarked  the  same  phenomenon.  The  Arabs, 
doubtless  for  some  reason  of  the  kind,  always  draw  their  head-kerchiefs, 
like  hoods,  far  over  their  brows,  and  cover  up  their  mouths,  even  when 
the  sun  and  wind  are  behind  them.  Inhabitants  of  the  desert  are  to  be 
recognised  by  the  net- work  of  wrinkles  traced  in  the  skin  round  the 


THE  BEDOUINS. 


97 


Bedouins,  to  refresh  themselves,  prepare  to  smoke.  They 
fill  my  chibouque,  light  it  with  a Hint  and  steel,  and  cotton 
dipped  in  a solution  of  gunpowder,  and  pass  it  over  to 
me.*  After  a few  puffs  I return  it  to  them,  and  they  smoke 
it  turn  by  turn.  Then  they  begin  to  while  away  the  tedium 
of  the  road  by  asking  questions,  which  passe-temps  is  not 
easily  exhausted;  for  they  are  never  satisfied  till  they  know 
as  much  of  you  as  you  do  of  yourself.  They  next  resort  to 
talking  about  victuals,  for  with  this  hungry  race  of  Bedou- 
ins, food,  as  a topic  of  conversation,  takes  the  place  of 
money  in  more  civilised  lands.  And  lastly,  even  this  en- 
grossing subject  being  exhausted  for  the  moment,  they 
take  refuge  in  singing ; and,  monotonous  and  droning  as  it 
is,  their  song  has  yet  an  artless  plaintiveness,  which  admira- 
bly suits  the  singer  and  the  scenery.  If  you  listen  to  the 
words,  you  will  surely  hear  allusions  to  bright  verdure, 
cool  shades,  bubbling  rills,  or  something  which  hereabouts 
man  hath  not,  and  yet  which  his  soul  desires. 

And  now,  while  Nassar  and  his  brother  are  chanting  a 
duet,  the  refrain  being, 

“ W’al  arzu  mablul  bi  matar,” 

“ And  the  earth  was  wet  with  rain,” 

I must  crave  leave  to  say  a few  words,  despite  the  trite- 

orbits,  the  result  of  half-closing  their  eyelids ; but  this  is  done  to  temper 
the  intensity  of  the  light. 

* Their  own  pipe-tubes  were  of  coarse  wood,  in  shape  somewhat 
resembling  the  German  pipe.  The  bowl  was  of  soft  stone,  apparently 
steatite,  which,  when  fresh,  is  easily  fashioned  with  a knife.  In  Arabia 
the  Bedouins,  and  even  the  towns-people,  use  on  journeys  an  earthen 
tube  from  five  to  six  inches  shorter  than  the  English  “ clay,”  thicker  in 
the  tube,  with  a large  bowl,  and  colored  yellowish-red.  It  contains  a 
handful  of  tobacco,  and  the  smoker  emits  puffs  like  a chimney.  In  some 
of  these  articles  the  bowl  forms  a rectangle  with  the  tube ; in  others, 
the  whole  is  an  unbroken  curve,  like  the  old  Turkish  Meerschaum. 

5 


98  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

ness  of  the  subject,  about  the  modern  Sinaitic  race  of 
Arabs. 

A wonderful  change  has  taken  place  in  the  Bedouin 
tribes.  Niebuhr  notes  the  trouble  they  gave  him,  and 
their  perpetual  hankering  for  both  murder  and  pillage. 
Even  in  the  late  Mohammed  Ali’s  early  reign,  no  governor 
of  Suez  dared  to  flog,  or  to  lay  hands  upon  a Turi,  what- 
ever offence  he  might  have  committed  within  the  walls  of 
the  town.  Now  the  wild  man’s  sword  is  taken  from  him 
before  he  is  allowed  to  enter  the  gates,  and  my  old  ac- 
quaintance, Giaffar  Bey,  would  think  no  more  of  belabor- 
ing a Bedouin  than  of  flogging  a Fellah.*  Such  is  the 
result  of  Mohammed  Ali’s  rigorous  policy. 

The  most  good-humored  and  sociable  of  men,  they 
delight  in  a jest,  and  may  readily  be  managed  by  kindness 
and  courtesy.  Yet  they  are  passionate,  nice  upon  points 
of  honor,  revengeful,  and  easily  offended,  where  their  j>ecu- 
liar  prejudices  are  misunderstood.  Those  travellers  who 
complain  of  their  insolence  and  extortion  may  have  been 

* In  the  mouth  of  a Turk,  no  epithet  is  more  contemptuous  than 
that  of  “Fellah  ibn  Fellah” — “boor,  son  of  a boor!”  The  Osmanlis 
have,  as  usual,  a semi-religious  tradition  to  account  for  the  superiority 
of  their  nation  over  the  Egyptians.  When  the  learned  doctor,  Abu 
Abdullah  Mohammed  ben  Idris  el  Shafei,  returned  from  Mecca  to  the 
banks  of  the  Nile,  he  mounted,  it  is  said,  a donkey  belonging  to  one  of 
the  Asinarii  of  Bulak.  Arriving  at  the  caravanserai,  he  gave  the  man 
ample  fare,  whereupon  the  Egyptian  putting  forth  his  hand,  and  saying 
“ haat,”  called  for  more.  The  doctor  doubled  the  fee ; still  the  double 
was  demanded.  At  last  the  divine  s purse  was  exhausted,  and  the  pro- 
prietor of  the  donkey  waxed  insolent.  A wandering  Turk  seeing  this, 
took  all  the  money  from  the  Egyptian,  paid  him  his  due,  solemnly 
kicked  him,  and  returned  the  rest  to  El  Shafei,  who  asked  him  his 
name — “ Osman” — and  his  nation — the  “ Osmanli” — blessed  him,  and 
prophesied  to  his  countrymen  supremacy  over  the  Fellahs  and  donkey 
boys  of  Egypt. 


THE  DESERT. 


99 


either  ignorant  of  their  language,  or  offensive  to  them  by 
assumption  of  superiority — in  the  Desert  man  meets  man — - 
or  physically  unfitted  to  acquire  their  esteem. 

We  journeyed  on  till  near  sunset  through  the  wilder- 
ness without  ennui.  It  is  strange  how  the  mind  can  be 
amused  amid  scenery  that  presents  so  few  objects  to 
occupy  it.  But  in  such  a country  every  slight  modification 
of  form  or  color  rivets  observation:  the  senses  are  sharp- 
ened, and  perceptive  faculties,  prone  to  sleep  over  a con- 
fused shifting  of  scenery,  act  vigorously  when  excited  by 
the  capability  of  embracing  each  detail.  Moreover,  desert 
views  are  eminently  suggestive  ; they  appeal  to  the  future, 
not  to  the  past ; they  arouse  because  they  are  by  no  means 
memorial.  To  the  solitary  wayfarer  there  is  an  interest  in 
the  wilderness  unknown  to  Cape  seas  and  Alpine  glaciers, 
and  even  to  the  rolling  prairie — the  effect  of  continued 
excitement  on  the  mind,  stimulating  its  powers  to  their 
pitch.  Above,  through  a sky  terrible  in  its  stainless 
beauty,  and  the  splendors  of  a pitiless  blinding  glare,  the 
Simoom  caresses  you  like  a lion  with  flaming  breath. 
Around  lie  drifted  sand  heaps,  upon  which  each  puff  of 
wind  leaves  its  own  trace  in  solid  waves,  flayed  rocks,  the 
very  skeletons  of  mountains,  and  hard  unbroken  plains, 
over  which  he  who  rides  is  spurred  by  the  idea,  that  the 
bursting  of  a water  skin,  or  the  pricking  of  a camel’s  hoof, 
would  be  a certain  death  of  torture- — a haggard  land, 
infested  with  wild  beasts,  and  wilder  men — a region  whose 
very  fountains  murmur  the  warning  words,  “Drink  and 
away!”  What  can  be  more  exciting?  what  more  sub- 
lime ? Man’s  heart  bounds  in  his  breast  at  the  thought  of 
measuring  his  puny  force  with  nature’s  might,  and  of 
emerging  triumphant  from  the  trial.  This  explains  the 
Arab’s  proverb,  “Voyaging  is  a victory.”  In  the  desert 
even  more  than  upon  the  ocean,  there  is  present  death : 


100  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

hardship  is  there,  and  piracies,  and  shipwreck — solitary, 
not  in  crowds,  where,  as  the  Persians  say,  “ Death  is  a 
festival” — and  this  sense  of  danger,  never  absent,  invests 
the  scene  of  travel  with  an  interest  not  its  own. 

Let  the  traveller  who  suspects  exaggeration  leave  the 
Suez  road  for  an  hour  or  two,  and  gallop  northwards  over 
the  sands : in  the  drear  silence,  the  solitude,  and  the  fan- 
tastic desolation  of  the  place,  he  will  feel  what  the  Desert 
may  be. 

And  then  the  Oases,*  and  little  lines  of  fertility — how 
soft  and  how  beautiful ! — even  though  the  Wady  El  Ward 
(the  Yale  of  Flowers)  be  the  name  of  some  stern  flat  upon 
which  a handful  of  wild  shrubs  blossom  while  struggling 
through  a cold  season’s  ephemeral  existence.  In  such  cir- 
cumstances the  mind  is  influenced  through  the  body. 
Though  your  mouth  glows,  and  your  skin  is  parched,  yet 
you  feel  no  languor,  the  effect  of  humid  heat ; your  lungs 

* Nothing  can  be  more  incorrect  than  the  vulgar  idea  of  an  Arabian 
Oasis,  except  it  be  the  popular  conception  of  an  Arabian  desert.  One 
reads  of  “isles  of  the  sandy  sea,”  but  never  sees  them.  The  real 
“ wady”  is,  generally  speaking,  a rocky  valley,  bisected  by  the  bed  of  a 
mountain  torrent,  dry  during  the  hot  season.  In  such  places  the 
Bedouins  love  to  encamp,  because  they  find  food  and  drink — water 
being  always  procurable  by  digging. 

When  the  supply  is  perennial,  the  wady  becomes  the  site  of  a vil- 
lage. The  Desert  is  as  unaptly  compared  to  a “ sandy  sea.v  Most  of 
the  wilds  of  Arabia  resemble  the  tract  between  Suez  and  Cairo  ; only 
the  former  are  of  primitive  formation,  whereas  the  others  are  of  a later 
date.  Sand  heaps  are  found  in  every  desert,  but  sand  plains  are 
merely  a local  feature,  not  the  general  face  of  the  country.  The  wil- 
derness east  of  the  Nile  is  generally  a hard  dry  earth,  which  requires 
only  a monsoon  to  become  highly  productive : even  where  silicious 
sand  covers  the  plain,  the  waters  of  a torrent,  depositing  humus  or 
vegetable  mould,  bind  the  particles  together,  and  fit  it  for  the  recep- 
tion of  seed. 


THE  PLEASURES  OF  THE  DESERT. 


101 


are  lightened,  your  sight  brightens,  your  memory  recovers 
its  tone,  and  your  spirits  become  exuberant;  your  fancy 
and  imagination  are  powerfully  aroused,  and  the  wildness 
and  sublimity  of  the  scenes  around  you  stir  up  all  the 
energies  of  your  soul — whether  for  exertion,  danger,  or 
strife.  Your  morale  improves:  you  become  frank  and 
cordial,  hospitable  and  single-minded : the  hypocritical 
politeness  and  the  slavery  of  civilization  are  left  behind  you 
in  the  city.  Your  senses  are  quickened  : they  require  no 
stimulants  but  air  and  exercise.  In  the  Desert,  spirituous 
liquors  excite  only  disgust.  There  is  a keen  enjoyment  in 
a mere  animal  existence.  The  sharp  appetite  disposes  of 
the  most  indigestible  food,  the  sand  is  softer  than  a bed  of 
down,  and  the  purity  of  the  air  suddenly  puts  to  flight  a 
dire  cohort  of  diseases.  Hence  it  is  that  both  sexes,  and 
every  age,  the  most  material  as  well  as  the  most  imagina- 
tive of  minds,  the  tamest  citizen,  the  most  peaceful  student, 
the  spoiled  child  of  civilization,  all  feel  their  hearts  dilate, 
and  their  pulses  beat  strong  as  they  look  down  from  their 
dromedaries  upon  the  “ glorious  Desert.”  Where  do  we 
hear  of  a “ traveller”  being  disappointed  by  it  ? It  is 
another  illustration  of  the  ancient  truth,  that  nature  returns 
to  man,  however  unworthily  he  has  treated  her.  And 
believe  me,  gentle  reader,  that  when  once  your  tastes  have 
conformed  to  the  tranquillity  of  such  travel,  you  will  suffer 
real  pain  in  returning  to  the  turmoil  of  civilization.  You 
will  anticipate  the  bustle  and  the  confusion  of  artificial  life, 
its  luxury  and  its  false  pleasures,  with  repugnance.  De- 
pressed in  spirits,  you  will  for  a time  after  your  return  feel 
incapable  of  mental  or  bodily  exertion.  The  air  of  cities 
will  suffocate  you,  and  the  care-worn  and  cadaverous  coun- 
tenances of  citizens  will  haunt  you  like  a vision  of  judg- 
ment. 


102  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

As  the  black  shadow  mounted  in  the  East,*  I turned  off 
the  road,  and  was  suddenly  saluted  by  a figure  rising  from 
a little  hollow  with  an  “ As’  Salamo  Alaykum”  of  truly 
Arab  sound.f  I looked  at  the  speaker  for  a moment  with- 
out recognising  him.  He  then  advanced  with  voluble 
expressions  of  joy,  invited  me  to  sup,  seized  my  camel’s 
halter  without  waiting  for  an  answer,  “nakh’dj”  him, 
led  me  hurriedly  to  a carpet  spread  in  a sandy  hollow, 
pulled  off  my  slippers,  gave  me  cold  water  for  ablution,  told 
me  that  he  had  mistaken  me  at  a distance  for  a “ Sherif” 
of  the  Arabs,  but  was  delighted  to  find  himself  in  error,  and 
urged  me  to  hurry  over  ablution,  otherwise  that  night 
would  come  on  before  wTe  could  say  our  prayers.  It  was 
Mohammed  El  Basyuni,  the  Meccan  boy  of  whom  I had 
bought  my  pilgrim-garb  at  Cairo.  After  prayer  he  lighted 
a pipe,  and  immediately  placed  the  snake-like  tube  in  my 
hand;  this  is  an  argument  which  the  tired  traveller  can 
rarely  resist.  He  then  began  to  rummage  my  saddle-bags ; 
drew  forth  stores  of  provisions,  rolls,  w^ater-melons,  boiled 
eggs,  and  dates,  and  whilst  lighting  the  fire  and  boiling 
coffee,  managed  to  distribute  his  own  stock,  which  was 
neither  plentiful  nor  first-rate,  to  the  camel-men.  Shaykh 
Nassar  and  his  brother  looked  aghast  at  this  movement, 
but  the  boy  was  inexorable.  They  tried  a few  rough  hints, 
which  he  noticed  by  singing  a Hindostani  couplet  that 
asserts  the  impropriety  of  anointing  rats’  heads  with  jasmine 

* This,  as  a general  rule  in  El-Islam,  is  a sign  that  the  Maghrib  or 
evening  prayer  must  not  be  delayed. 

f This  salutation  of  peace  is  so  differently  pronounced  by  every 
eastern  nation  that  the  observing  traveller  will  easily  make  of  it  a 
shibboleth. 

J To  “ nakh,”  in  Arabic,  is  to  gurgle  “ Ikh ! ikh  1”  in  the  bottom  of 
one’s  throat  till  the  camel  kneels  down.  We  have  no  English  word  for 
this  proceeding. 


BEDOUIN  FINESSE. 


103 


oil.  They  suspected  abuse,  and  waxed  cross ; he  acknow- 
ledged this  by  deriding  them.  And  I urged  him  on,  want- 
ing to  see  how  the  city  Arab  treats  the  countryman.  He 
then  took  my  tobacco  pouch  from  the  angry  Bedouins,  and 
in  a stage  whisper  reproved  me  for  entrusting  it  to  such 
thieves,  insisting  at  the  same  time  upon  drinking  all  the 
coffee,  so  that  the  poor  guides  had  to  prepare  for  them- 
selves. He  improved  every  opportunity  of  making  mis- 
chief. 

After  an  hour  most  amusingly  spent  in  this  way,  I arose 
and  insisted  upon  mounting.  Shaykh  Nassar  and  his 
brother  had  reckoned  upon  living  gratis,  for  at  least  three 
days,  judging  it  improbable  that  a soft  Effendi  would 
hurry  himself.  When  they  saw  the  fair  vision  dissolved, 
they  began  to  finesse ; they  induced  the  camel  man,  who  ran 
by  the  side  of  Mohammed’s  dromedary,  to  precede  the  ani- 
mal, a favorite  manoeuvre  to  prevent  overspeed.  Ordered 
to  fall  back,  the  man  pleaded  fatigue  and  inability  to  walk. 
The  boy  Mohammed  immediately  asked  if  I had  any  objec- 
tion to  dismount  one  of  my  guides,  and  to  let  his  weary 
attendant  ride  for  an  hour  or  so.  I at  once  assented,  and 
the  Bedouins  obeyed  me  with  ominous  grumblings.  When 
we  resumed  our  march,  the  melancholy  Arabs  had  no  song 
left  in  them,  whereas  Mohammed  chanted  vociferously,  and 
quoted  bad  Hindostani  and  worse  Persian  till  silence  was 
forcibly  imposed  upon  him.  The  camel  men  lagged  behind, 
in  order  to  prevent  my  dromedary  advancing  too  fast,  and 
the  boy’s  guide,  after  dismounting,  would  stride  along  in 
front  of  us,  under  pretext  of  showing  the  way.  And  so  we 
jogged  on,  now  walking,  then  trotting,  till  the  dromeda- 
ries began  to  grunt  with  fatigue,  and  the  Arabs  clamored 
for  a halt. 

At  midnight  we  reached  the  centre  station,  and  lay  down 
under  its  walls  to  take  a little  rest.  The  dews  fell  heavily, 


104  A PILGKIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINA  H AND  MECCAH. 

wetting  the  sheets  that  covered  us ; but  who  cares  for  such 
trifles  in  the  Desert  ? The  moon  shone  bright  ;*  the  breeze 
blew  coolly,  and  the  jackal  sang  a lullaby  which  lost  no 
time  in  producing  the  soundest  sleep.  As  the  wolf’s  tailf 
appeared  in  the  heavens  we  arose,  mounted  our  camels,  and 
resumed  the  march  in  real  earnest.  The  dawn  passed  away 
in  its  delicious  coolness,  and  sultry  morning  came  on.  Then 
day  arose  in  its  fierceness,  and  the  noontide  sun  made  the 
plain  glow  with  terrible  heat.  Still  we  pressed  onwards. 

At  3 p.  m.  we  turned  off  the  road  into  a dry  water-course. 
The  sand  was  dotted  with  the  dried-up  leaves  of  the  Datura, 
and  strongly  perfumed  by  a kind  of  Absinthe,  the  sweetest 
herb  of  the  Desert.  A Mimosa  was  there,  and  although  its 
shade  at  this  season  is  little  better  than  a cocoa  tree’s  J the 
Bedouins  would  not  neglect  it.  We  lay  down  upon  the 
sand  to  rest  among  a party  of  Maghrabi  pilgrims  travelling 
to  Suez.  It  was  impossible  to  help  pitying  their  state,  nor 
could  I eat,  seeing  them  hungry,  thirsty,  and  way-worn. 
So  Nassar  served  out  about  a pint  of  water  and  a little 
bread  to  each  man.  Then  they  asked  for  more.  None  was 
to  be  had,  so  they  cried  out  that  money  would  do  as  well.  I 
had  determined  upon  being  generous  to  the  extent  of  a few 
pence.  Custom,  as  well  as  inclination,  was  in  favor  of  the 
act ; but  when  the  alms  became  a demand,  and  the  demand 
was  backed  by  fierce  looks  and  a derisive  sneer,  and  a kind 

* “ The  sun  shall  not  smite  thee  by  day,  nor  the  moon  by  night.” 
(Psalm  cxxi.  6.)  Easterns  still  believe  firmly  in  the  evil  effects  of  moon- 
light on  the  human  frame.  From  Sindh  to  Abyssinia,  the  traveller  will 
hear  tales  of  wonder  concerning  it. 

j*  The  wolf’s  tail  is  the  Persian  name  for  the  first  brushes  of  grey 
light  which  appear  as  forerunners  of  dawn. 

t We  are  told  in  verse  of  “a  cocoa’s  feathery  shade.”  But  to  real- 
ise the  prose  picture,  let  the  home  reader,  choosing  some  sultry  August 
day,  fasten  a large  fan  to  a long  pole,  and  enjoy  himself  under  it. 


THE  NEIGHBORHOOD  OF  SUEZ. 


105 


of  reference  to  their  knives,  gentle  charity  took  the  alarm 
and  fled.  My  pistols  kept  them  at  bay,  for  they  were  only 
making  an  attempt  to  intimidate,  and  though  I took  the  pre- 
caution of  sitting  apart  from  them,  there  was  no  real  danger. 
Of  the  Maghrabis  I shall  have  more  to  say  when  relating 
my  voyage  in  the  Pilgrim  Ship  : they  were  the  only  travel- 
lers from  whom  we  experienced  the  least  annoyance.  Nu- 
merous parties  of  Turks,  Arabs,  and  Afghans,  and  a few 
Indians,  were  on  the  same  errand  as  ourselves.  All,  as  we 
passed  them,  welcomed  us  with  the  friendly  salutation  that 
so  becomes  men  engaged  in  a labor  of  religion. 

Suez  was  now  near.  In  the  blue  distance  rose  the  castel- 
lated peaks  and  the  wide  sand-tracts  over  which  lies  the  land 
route  to  El  Hejaz.  Before  us  the  sight  ever  dear  to  English 
eyes, — a strip  of  sea  gloriously  azure,  with  a gallant  steamer 
walking  the  waters.  On  the  right-hand  side  lay  the  broad 
slopes  of  Jebel  Mukuttum,  a range  of  hills  which  flanks  the 
road  all  the  way  from  Cairo.  It  was  at  this  hour  a specta- 
cle not  easily  to  be  forgotten.  We  drew  up  at  a small 
building  called  Bir  Suways  (well  of  Suez),  and  under  pretext 
of  watering  the  cattle,  I sat  for  half  an  hour  admiring  the 
charms  of  the  Desert.  The  eye  never  tires  of  loveliness  of 
hue,  and  the  memory  of  the  hideousness  of  this  range,  when 
a sun  in  front  exposed  each  barren  and  deformed  feature, 
supplied  the  evening  view  with  another  element  of  attrac- 
tion. 

It  was  already  night  when  we  passed  through  the  tum- 
bling gateway  of  Suez ; and  there  still  remained  the  task  of 
finding  my  servant  and  effects.  After  wandering  in  and 
out  of  every  Wakalat  in  the  village,  we  accidentally  heard 
that  an  Indian  had  taken  lodgings  at  a hostelry  bearing  the 
name  of  Jirjis.  On  arriving  there  our  satisfaction  was 
diminished  by  the  intelligence  that  the  same  Indian,  after 
locking  the  door,  had  gone  out  with  his  friends  to  a ship  in 

5* 


106  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

the  harbor ; in  fact,  that  he  had  made  all  preparations  for 
running  away.  I dismounted,  and  tried  to  persuade  the 
porter  to  break  open  the  wooden  bolt,  but  he  absolutely 
refused,  and  threatened  the  police.  Meanwhile  Mohammed 
had  found  a party  of  friends,  men  of  El  Medinah,  returning 
to  the  pilgrimage  after  a begging  tour  through  Egypt  and 
Turkey.  The  meeting  was  characterised  by  vociferous 
inquiries,  loud  guffaws,  and  warm  embraces.  I was  invited 
to  share  their  supper,  and  their  dormitory,- — an  uncovered 
platform  projecting  from  the  gallery  over  the  square  court 
below,  but  I had  neither  appetite  nor  spirits  to  be  sociable. 
The  porter,  after  persuasion,  showed  me  an  empty  room,  in 
which  I spread  my  carpet.  That  night  was  a sad  one.  My 
eighty-four  mile  ride  had  made  every  bone  ache ; I had  lost 
much  epidermis,  and  the  sun  had  seared  every  portion  of 
skin  exposed  to  it.  So,  lamenting  my  degeneracy  and  the 
ill  effects  of  four  years’  domicile  in  Europe,  and  equally  dis- 
quieted in  mind  about  the  fate  of  my  goods  and  chattels,  I 
fell  into  an  uncomfortable  sleep. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


SUEZ. 

Early  on  the  morning  after  my  arrival,  I arose,  and  con- 
sulted my  new  acquaintances  about  what  steps  should  be 
taken  towards  recovering  the  missing  property.  They 
unanimously  advised  a visit  to  the  governor,  whom,  how- 
ever, they  described  to  be  a “ Kelb  ibn  Kelb,”  (dog,  son  of 
a dog,)  who  never  returned  Moslems’  salutations,  and 
thought  all  men  dirt  to  be  trodden  under  foot  by  the  Turks. 
The  boy  Mohammed  showed  his  savoir  faire  by  extracting 
from  his  huge  box  a fine  embroidered  cap,  and  a grand 
peach-colored  coat,  with  which  I was  instantly  invested  ; he 
dressed  himself  with  similar  magnificence,  and  we  then  set 
out  to  the  “ palace.” 

Giaffar  Bey, — he  has  since  been  deposed, — then  occupied 
the  position  of  judge,  officer  commanding,  collector  of  cus- 
toms, and  magistrate  of  Suez.  The  large  old  Turk  received 
me  most  superciliously,  disdained  all  return  of  salaam,  and 
fixing  upon  me  two  little  eyes  like  gimlets  demanded  my 
business.  I stated  that  one  Shaykh  Nur,  my  Indian  servant, 
had  played  me  false ; therefore  I required  permission  to 
break  into  the  room  supposed  to  contain  my  effects.  He 


108  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAII. 

asked  my  profession.  I replied  the  medical.  This  led  him  to 
inquire  if  I had  any  medicine  for  the  eyes,  and  being  answer- 
ed in  the  affirmative,  he  sent  a messenger  with  me  to 
enforce  obedience  on  the  part  of  the  porter.  The  obnoxious 
measure  was,  however,  unnecessary.  As  we  entered  the 
caravanserai  there  appeared  at  the  door  the  black  face  of 
Shaykh  Nur,  looking,  though  accompanied  by  sundry  fellow 
countrymen,  uncommonly  as  if  he  merited  and  expected  the 
bamboo.  He  had,  by  his  own  account,  been  seduced  into 
the  festivities  of  a coal  hulk  manned  by  Indian  Lascars,  and 
the  vehemence  of  his  self-accusation  saved  him  from  the 
chastisement  which  I had  determined  to  administer. 

I must  now  briefly  describe  the  party  into  which  fate 
threw  me : the  names  of  these  men  will  so  frequently 
appear  in  the  following  pages,  that  a few  words  about  their 
natures  will  not  be  misplaced. 

First  of  all  comes  Omar  Effendi, — so  called  in  honor, — 
a Daghistani  or  Circassian,  the  grandson  of  a Hanafi  Mufti 
at  El  Medinah,  and  the  son  of  a Shayk  Rakl,  an  officer  whose 
duty  it  is  to  lead  dromedary-caravans.  He  sits  upon  his 
cot,  a small,  short,  plump  body,  of  yellow  complexion  and 
bilious  temperament,  grey-eyed,  soft-featured,  and  utterly 
beardless, — which  affects  his  feelings, — he  looks  fifteen,  and 
owns  to  twenty-eight.  His  manners  are  those  of  a student ; 
he  dresses  respectably,  prays  regularly,  hates  the  fair  sex, 
like  an  Arab,  whose  affections  and  aversions  are  always  in 
extremes,  is  serious,  has  a mild  demeanor,  an  humble  gait, 
and  a soft  slow  voice.  When  roused  he  becomes  furious  as 
a Bengal  tiger.  His  parents  have  urged  him  to  marry,  and 
he,  like  Camaralzaman,  has  informed  his  father  that  he  is  a 
person  of  great  age,  but  little  sense.  Urged  moreover  by  a 
melancholy  turn  of  mind,  and  the  want  of  leisure  for  study 
at  El  Medinah,  he  fled  the  paternal  domicile,  and  entered 
himself  a pauper  (student)  in  the  Azhar  mosque.  His  dis- 


A CONFIDENTIAL  MAN. 


109 


consolate  friends  and  afflicted  relations  sent  a confidential 
man  to  fetch  him  home  by  force,  should  it  be  necessary  ; he 
has  yielded,  and  is  now  awaiting  the  first  opportunity  of 
travelling,  if  possible,  gratis  to  El  Medinah. 

That  confidential  man  is  a negro-servant,  called  Saad, 
notorious  in  his  native  city  as  El  Jinni,  the  devil.  Born  and 
bred  a slave  in  Omar  Effendi’s  family,  he  obtained  manu- 
mission, became  a soldier  in  El-Hejaz,  was  dissatisfied  with 
pay  perpetually  in  arrears,  turned  merchant,  and  wandered 
far  and  wide,  to  Russia,  to  Gibraltar,  and  to  Baghdad.  He 
is  the  pure  African,  noisily  merry  at  one  moment,  at  another 
silently  sulky,  affectionate  and  abusive,  brave  and  boastful, 
reckless  and  crafty,  exceedingly  quarrelsome,  and  unscrupu- 
lous to  the  last  degree.  The  bright  side  of  his  character  is 
his  love  for,  and  respect  to,  the  young  master  Omar  Effendi ; 
yet  even  him  he  will  scold  in  a paroxysm  of  fury,  and  steal 
from  him  whatever  he  can  lay  his  hands  on.  He  is  generous 
with  his  goods,  but  is  ever  borrowing  and  never  paying 
money ; he  dresses  like  a beggar,  with  the  dirtiest  tarboosh 
upon  his  tufty  poll,  and  only  a cotton  shirt  over  his  sooty 
skin,  whilst  his  two  boxes  are  full  of  handsome  apparel  for 
himself  and  the  three  ladies  his  wives  at  El  Medinah.  He 
knows  no  fear  but  for  those  boxes.  Frequently  during  our 
search  for  a vessel  he  forced  himself  into  Giaffar  Bey’s  pre- 
sence, and  demeaned  himself  so  impudently,  that  we 
expected  to  see  him  lamed  by  the  bastinado ; his  forward- 
ness, however,  only  amused  the  dignitary.  He  wanders  all 
day  about  the  bazaar,  talking  about  freight  and  passage,  for 
he  has  resolved,  cost  what  it  will,  to  travel  gratis,  and  with 
doggedness  like  his,  he  must  succeed. 

Shaykh  Hamid  el  Lamman  derives  his  cognomen,  the 
“ clarified  butter-seller,”  from  a celebrated  saint  and  Sufi  of 
the  Kadiriyah  order,  who  left  a long  line  of  holy  descend- 
ants at  El  Medinah.  This  Shaykh  squats  upon  a box  full  of 


110  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDHSTAH  AND  MECCAH. 

presents  for  the  daughter  of  his  paternal  uncle,*  a perfect 
specimen  of  the  town  Arab.  His  head  is  crowned  with 
a rough  Shushah  or  tuft  of  hair  on  the  poll  ;f  his  face  is  of 
a dirty  brown,  his  little  goat’s  beard  untrimmed ; his  feet  are 
bare,  and  his  only  garment  is  an  exceedingly  unclean  ochre- 
colored  blouse,  tucked  at  the  waist  into  a leathern  girdle 
beneath  it.  He  will  not  pray,  because  he  is  unwilling  to 
take  pure  clothes  out  of  his  box ; but  he  smokes  when  he 
can  get  other  people’s  tobacco,  and  groans  between  the 
whiffs,  conjugating  the  verb  all  day,  for  he  is  of  active 
mind.  He  can  pick  out  his  letters,  and  he  keeps  in  his 
bosom  a little  dog’s-eared  MS.  full  of  serious  romances  and 
silly  prayers,  old  and  exceedingly  ill  written : this  he  will 
draw  forth  at  times,  peep  into  for  a moment,  devoutly  kiss, 
and  restore  to  its  proper  place  with  all  the  veneration  of 
the  vulgar  for  a book.  He  can  sing  all  manner  of  songs, 
slaughter  a sheep  with  dexterity,  deliver  a grand  call  to 
prayer,  shave,  cook,  fight,  and  he  excels  in  the  science  of 
vituperation : like  Saad,  he  never  performs  his  devotions, 
except  when  necessary  to  “ keep  up  appearances.”  His 
brow  crumples  at  the  word  wine,  but  there  is  quite  another 
expression  about  the  region  of  the  mouth ; and  Stamboul, 
where  he  has  lived  some  months,  without  learning  ten 
words  of  Turkish,  is  a notable  place  for  displaying  pre- 
judice. 

* His  wife. 

f When  travelling,  the  Shushah  is  allowed  to  spread  over  the  great- 
est portion  of  the  scalp,  to  act  as  a protection  against  the  sun  ; and  the 
hair  being  shaved  off  about  two  inches  all  round  the  head,  leaves  a 
large  circular  patch.  Nothing  can  be  uglier  than  such  tonsure,  and  it 
is  contrary  to  the  strict  law  of  the  Prophet.  The  Arab,  however, 
knows  by  experience,  that  habitual  exposure  of  the  scalp  to  a burning 
sun  seldom  fails  to  damage  its  precious  contents.  He,  therefore,  wears 
a Shushah  during  his  wanderings,  and  removes  it  on  his  return  home. 


Ill 


A “ FLY-SUCKER.” 

Stretched  on  a carpet,  smoking  a Persian  Kalioon  all 
day,  lies  Salih  Shakkar,  a Turk,  born  at  El  Medinah.  We 
were  intimate  enough  on  the  road,  when  he  borrowed  from 
me  a little  money.  But  at  El  Medinah  he  cut  me  pitilessly, 
as  a “ town  man”  does  a country  acquaintance  accidentally 
met,  and  of  course  he  tried,  though  in  vain,  to  evade  repay- 
ing his  debt.  He  had  a tincture  of  letters,  and  appeared  to 
have  studied  critically  the  subject  of  “ largesse.”  “The 
generous  is  Allah’s  friend,  aye,  though  he  be  a sinner,  and 
the  miser  is  Allah’s  foe,  aye,  though  he  be  a saint,”  was  a 
venerable  saying  always  in  his  mouth.  He  also  informed 
me  that  Pharaoh,  although  the  quintessence  of  impiety,  is 
mentioned  by  name  in  the  Koran,  by  reason  of  his  liberality, 
whereas,  Nimrod,  another  monster  of  iniquity,  is  only  al- 
luded to,  because  he  was  a stingy  tyrant.  It  is  almost  need- 
less to  declare  that  Salih  Shakkar  was,  as  the  Indians  say, 
a very  “ fly-sucker.”  * There  were  two  other  men  of  El 
Medinah  in  the  Wakalat  Girgis ; but  I omit  description,  as 
we  left  them,  they  being  penniless,  at  Suez.  One  of  them, 
Mahommed  Shiklibha,  I afterwards  met  at  Meccah,  and 
seldom  have  I seen  a more  honest  and  warm-hearted  fellow. 
When  we  were  embarking  at  Suez,  he  fell  upon  Hamid’s 
bosom,  and  both  of  them  wept  at  the  prospect  of  parting 
even  for  a few  days. 

All  the  individuals  above  mentioned  lost  no  time  in  open- 
ing the  question  of  a loan.  It  was  a lesson  in  oriental  meta- 
physics to  see  their  condition.  They  had  a twelve  days’ 
voyage,  and  a four  days’  journey,  before  them ; boxes  to 
carry,  custom-houses  to  face,  and  stomachs  to  fill ; yet  the 
whole  party  could  scarcely,  I believe,  muster  two  dollars  of 
ready  money.  Their  boxes  were  full  of  valuables,  arms, 
clothes,  pipes,  slippers,  sweetmeats,  and  other  “notions,” 


* “ Makhi-chus,”  equivalent  to  our  “ skin-flint.5 


112  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

but  nothing  short  of  starvation  would  have  induced  th»  <n 
to  pledge  the  smallest  article. 

I foresaw  that  their  company  would  be  an  advantage,  and 
therefore  I hearkened  favorably  to  the  honeyed  request 
for  a few  crowns.  The  boy  Mohammed  obtained  six  dol- 
lars; Hamid  about  five  pounds, — I intended  to  make  his 
house  at  El  Medinah  my  home ; Umar  Effendi  three  dollars ; 
Saad  the  Devil,  two — I gave  the  money  to  him  at  Yambu, 
— and  Salih  Shakkar  fifty  piastres.  But  since  in  these  lands, 
as  a rule,  no  one  ever  lends  coins,  or  borrowing  ever  returns 
them,  I took  care  to  exact  service  from  the  first,  to  take 
two  rich  coats  from  the  second,  a handsome  pipe  from  the 
third,  a “ bala”  or  yataghan  from  the  fourth,  and  from  the 
fifth  an  imitation  Cashmere  shawl.  After  which,  we  sat 
down  and  drew  out  the  agreement.  It  was  favorable  to 
me:  I lent  them  Egyptian  money,  and  bargained  for  re- 
payment in  the  currency  of  El  Hejaz,  thereby  gaining  the 
exchange,  which  is  sometimes  16  per  cent.  My  compa- 
nions having  received  these  small  sums,  became  affectionate 
and  eloquent  in  my  praise : they  asked  me  to  make  one  of 
their  number  for  the  future  at  their  meals,  overwhelmed 
me  with  questions,  insisted  upon  a present  of  sweetmeats, 
detected  in  me  a great  man  under  a cloud, — perhaps  my 
claims  to  being  a Dervish  assisted  them  to  this  discovery, — 
and  declared  that  I should  perforce  be  their  guest  at  Mec- 
cah  and  El  Medinah.  This  sudden  elevation  led  me  into  an 
imprudence  which  might  have  cost  me  dear.  It  aroused  the 
only  suspicion  about  me  ever  expressed  during  the  summer’s 
trip.  My  friends  had  looked  at  my  clothes,  overhauled  my 
medicine  chest,  and  criticised  my  pistols ; they  sneered  at 
my  copper-cased  watch,*  and  remembered  having  seen  a 

* This  being  an  indispensable  instrument  for  measuring  distances,  I 
had  it  divested  of  gold  case,  and  provided  with  a facing  carefully  stained 


SUSPICION. 


113 


compass  at  Constantinople.  Therefore  I imagined  they 
would  think  little  about  a sextant.  This  was  a mistake. 
The  boy  Mohammed  I afterwards  learned,  waited  only  my 
leaving  the  room  to  declare  that  the  would-be  Haji  was  one 
of  the  infidels  from  India,  and  a council  sat  to  discuss  the 
case.  Fortunately  for  me  Umar  Effendi  had  looked  over 
a letter  which  I had  written  to  Haji  Wali  that  morning,  and 
he  had  at  various  times  received  categorical  replies  to  cer- 
tain questions  in  high  theology.  He  felt  himself  justified  in 
declaring,  ex  cathedrd , the  boy  Mohammed’s  position  per- 
fectly untenable.  And  Shaykh  Hamid,  who  looked  forward 
to  being  my  host,  guide,  and  debtor  in  general,  and  proba- 
bly cared  scantily  for  catechism  or  creed,  swore  that  the 
light  of  El  Islam  was  upon  my  countenance,  and  conse- 
quently that  the  boy  Mohammed  was  a pauper,  a u fakir,’’ 
an  owl,  a cut-off  one,  a stranger,  and  a Wahhabi,  for  daring 
to  impugn  the  faith  of  a brother  believer.  The  scene  ended 
with  a general  abuse  of  the  acute  youth,  who  was  told  on 
all  sides  that  he  had  no  shame  and  was  directed  to  fear  Al- 
lah. I was  struck  with  the  expression  of  my  friends’  coun- 
tenances when  they  saw  the  sextant,  and,  determining  with 
a sigh  to  leave  it  behind,  I prayed  five  times  a day  for 
nearly  a week. 

We  all  agreed  not  to  lose  an  hour  in  securing  places  on 
board  some  vessel  bound  to  Yambu,  and  my  companions, 
hearing  that  my  passport  as  a British  Indian  was  scarcely 
“ en  regie,”  earnestly  advised  me  to  have  it  signed  by  the 

and  figured  with  Arabic  numerals.  In  countries  where  few  can  judge 
of  a watch  by  its  works,  it  is  as  well  to  secure  its  safety  by  making  the 
exterior  look  as  mean  as  possible.  The  watches  worn  by  respectable 
people  in  El  Hejaz  are  almost  always  old  silver  pieces,  of  the  turnip 
shape,  with  hunting  cases  and  an  outer  etui  of  thick  leather.  Mostly 
they  are  of  Swiss  or  German  manufacture,  and  they  find  their  way  into 
Arabia  via,  Constantinople  and  Cairo. 


114  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINA II  AND  MECCAH. 

governor  without  delay,  whilst  they  occupied  themselves 
about  the  harbor.  They  warned  me  that  if  I displayed  the 
Turkish  Tezkireh  given  to  me  at  the  citadel  of  Cairo,  I 
should  infallibly  be  ordered  to  await  the  caravan,  and  lose 
their  society  and  friendship.  Pilgrims  arriving  at  Alex- 
andria, be  it  known  to  the  reader,  are  divided  into  bodies, 
and  distributed  by  means  of  Tezkirehs  to  the  three  great 
roads,  namely,  Suez,  Cosseir,  and  the  Haj  route  by  land 
round  the  Gulf  of  Akabah.  After  the  division  has  once 
been  made,  government  turns  a deaf  ear  to  the  representa- 
tions of  individuals.  The  Bey  of  Suez  has  an  order  to 
obstruct  pilgrims  as  much  as  possible  till  the  end  of  the 
season,  when  they  are  hurried  down  that  way,  lest  they 
should  arrive  at  Meccah  too  late.  As  most  of  the  Egyptian 
high  officials  have  boats,  which  sail  up  the  Nile  laden  with 
pilgrims  and  return  freighted  with  corn,  the  government 
naturally  does  its  utmost  to  force  the  delays  and  discom- 
forts of  this  line  upon  strangers.  Knowing  these  facts,  I 
felt  that  a difficulty  was  at  hand.  The  first  thing  was  to 
take  Shaykh  Nur’s  passport,  which  was  “en  regie,”  and  my 
own  which  was  not,  to  the  Bey  for  signature.  He  turned 
the  papers  over  and  over,  as  if  unable  to  read  them,  and 
raised  false  hopes  high  by  referring  me  to  his  clerk.  The 
under  official  at  once  saw  the  irregularity  of  the  document, 
asked  me  why  it  had  not  been  vise  at  Cairo,  swore  that 
under  such  circumstances  nothing  would  induce  the  Bey  to 
let  me  proceed,  and  when  I tried  persuasion,  waxed  inso- 
lent. My  last  hope  at  Suez  was  to  obtain  assistance  from 
Mr.  George  West,  H.  B.  M.  sub-vice-consul.  I therefore 
took  the  boy  Mohammed  with  me,  choosing  him  on  pur- 
pose, and  excusing  the  step  to  my  companions  by  concoct- 
ing an  artful  fable  about  my  having  been,  in  some  part  of 
Afghanistan,  a benefactor  to  the  British  nation.  We  pro- 
ceeded to  the  consulate.  Mr.  W est,  who  had  been  told  by 


THE  “ GEORGE”  INN. 


115 


an  imprudent  friend  to  expect  me,  saw  through  the  disguise, 
despite  the  jargon  assumed  to  satisfy  official  scruples,  and  no- 
thing could  be  kinder  than  the  part  he  took.  His  clerk  was 
directed  to  place  himself  in  communication  with  the  Bey’s 
factotum,  and  when  objections  to  signing  the  Alexandrian 
Tezkireh  were  offered,  the  vice-consul  said  that  he  would, 
at  his  own  risk,  give  me  a fresh  passport  as  a British  subject 
from  Suez  to  Arabia.  His  firmness  prevailed,  and  on  the 
second  day,  the  documents  were  returned  to  me  in  a satis- 
factory state. 

Nothing  more  comfortless  than  our  days  and  nights  in 
the  “ George  ” Inn.  The  ragged  walls  of  our  rooms  were 
clammy  with  dirt,  the  smoky  rafters  foul  with  cobwebs, 
and  the  floor,  bestrewed  with  kit,  in  terrible  confusion,  was 
black  with  hosts  of  ants  and  flies.  Pigeons  nestled  on  the 
shelf,  cooing  amatory  ditties  the  live-long  day,  and  cats, 
like  tigers,  crawled  through  a hole  in  the  door,  making 
night  hideous  with  their  cat-a-waulings.  Now  a curious 
goat,  then  an  inquisitive  jackass,  would  walk  stealthily  into 
the  room,  remark  that  it  was  tenanted,  and  retreat  with 
dignified  demeanor,  and  the  mosquitoes  sang  Io  Paeans 
over  our  prostrate  forms  throughout  tne  twenty-four 
hours.  I spare  the  reader  the  enumeration  of  the  other 
Egyptian  plagues  that  infested  the  place.  After  the  first 
day’s  trial,  we  determined  to  spend  the  hours  of  light  in 
the  passages,  lying  upon  our  boxes  or  rugs,  smoking,  wran- 
gling, and  inspecting  one  another’s  chests  : the  latter  occu- 
pation was  a fertile  source  of  disputes,  for  nothing  was 
more  common  than  for  a friend  to  seize  an  article  belong- 
ing to  another,  and  to  swear  by  the  Prophet’s  beard  that 
be  admired  it,  and  therefore  would  not  return  it.  The  boy 
Mohammed  and  Shaykh  Nur,  who  had  been  intimates  the 
first  day,  differed  in  opinion  on  the  second,  and  on  the 
third  came  to  pushing  each  other  against  the  wall.  Some- 


116  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

times  we  went  into  the  Bazar,  a shady  street  flanked 
with  poor  little  shops,  or  we  sat  in  the  coffee-house,*  drink- 
ing hot  salt  water  tinged  with  burnt  bean,  or  we  prayed 
in  one  of  the  three  tumble-down  old  mosques,  or  we 
squatted  upon  the  pier,  lamenting  the  want  of  Hammams, 
and  bathing  in  the  tepid  sea.  The  only  society  we  found 
— excepting  an  occasional  visitor — was  that  of  a party  of 
Egyptian  women,  who  with  their  husbands  and  families 
occupied  some  rooms  adjoining  ours.  At  first  they  were 
fierce,  and  used  bad  language,  when  the  boy  Mohammed 
and  I,  whilst  Omar  Efiendi  was  engaged  in  prayer,  and  the 
rest  were  wandering  about  the  town,  ventured  to  linger  in 
the  cool  passage,  where  they  congregated,  or  to  address  a 
facetious  phrase  to  them.  But  hearing  that  I was  a 
Hakim-bashi — for  fame  had  promoted  me  to  the  rank  of  a 
“ Physician  General”  at  Suez — all  had  some  ailments  ; they 
began  prudently  with  requesting  me  to  display  the  effects 
of  my  drugs  by  dosing  myself,  but  they  ended  submissively 
by  swallowing  nauseous  compounds  in  a body.  To  this 
succeeded  a primitive  form  of  flirtation,  which  mainly  con- 
sisted of  the  demand  direct.  The  most  charming  of  the 
party  was  one  Fattfimah,  a plump-personed  dame  fast 
verging  upon  her  thirtieth  year,  fond  of  a little  flattery, 
and  possessed,  like  all  her  people,  of  a most  voluble  tongue. 
Sometimes  the  entrance  of  the  male  Fellahsf  interrupted 

* We  were  still  at  Suez,  where  we  could  do  as  we  pleased.  But 
respectable  Arabs  in  their  own  country,  unlike  Egyptians,  are  seldom 
to  be  seen  in  the  places  of  public  resort.  “Go  to  the  coffee-house,  and 
sing  there!”  is  a reproach  sometimes  addressed  to  those  who  have  a 
habit  of  humming  in  decent  society. 

f The  palmy  days  of  the  Egyptian  husband,  when  he  might  use  the 
stick,  the  sword,  or  the  sack  with  impunity,  are,  in  civilized  places  at 
least,  now  gone  by.  The  wife  has  only  to  complain  to  the  Cadi,  or  to 
the  governor,  and  she  is  certain  of  redress.  This  is  right  in  the  ab- 


PRIMITIVE  FLIRTATION. 


11 


these  little  discussions,  but  people  of  our  respectability  and 
nation  were  not  to  be  imposed  upon  by- such  husbands.  In 
their  presence  we  only  varied  the  style  of  conversation — 
inquiring  the  amount  of  “ Mahr,”  or  marriage  settlement, 
deriding  the  cheapness  of  womanhood  in  Egypt,  and 
requiring  to  be  furnished  on  the  spot  with  brides  at  the 
rate  of  ten  shillings  a head.*  More  often  the  amiable  Fat- 
tumah — the  fair  sex  in  this  country,  though  passing  frail, 
have  the  best  tempers  in  the  world — would  laugh  at  our 
impertinences.  Sometimes,  vexed  by  our  imitating  her 
Egyptian  accent,  mimicking  her  gestures,  and  depreciating 
her  countrywomen,  she  would  wax  wroth,  and  order  us  to 
be  gone,  and  stretch  out  her  forefinger — a sign  that  she 
wished  to  put  out  our  eyes,  or  adjure  Allah  to  cut  the 
heart  out  of  our  bosoms.  Then  the  “ Marry  me,  O Fat- 
tumah,  O daughter,  O female  pilgrim !”  would  give  way  to 
“ Y’al-ago-o-oz  !”  (O  old  woman  and  decrepit !)  “ O daugh- 
ter of  sixty  sires,  and  only  fit  to  carry  wood  to  market !” — 
whereupon  would  burst  a storm  of  wrath,  at  the  tail  of 
which  all  of  us,  like  children,  starting  upon  our  feet,  rushed 
out  of  one  another’s  way.  This  was  the  amusement  of  the 
day.  At  night  we,  men,  assembling  upon  the  little  ter- 
race, drank  tea,  recited  stories,  read  books,  talked  of  our 
travels,  and  indulged  in  various  pleasantries. 

The  population  of  Suez  now  numbers  about  4,800.  As 
usual  in  Mohammedan  countries  no  census  is  taken  here. 
Some  therefore  estimate  the  population  at  6,000.  Sixteen 
years  ago  it  was  supposed  to  be  under  3,000.  After  that 

stract,  but  in  practice  it  acts  badly.  The  fair  sex  is  so  unruly  in  this 
country,  that  strong  measures  are  necessary  to  coerce  it,  and  in  the  arts 
of  deceit  men  have  little  or  no  chance  against  women. 

* The  amount  of  settlement  being,  among  Moslems  as  among  Chris- 
tians, the  test  of  a bride’s  value — moral  and  physical,  it  will  readily  be 
■understood  that  our  demand  was  more  facetious  than  complimentary. 


118  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECOAH. 

time  it  rapidly  increased  till  1850,  when  a fatal  attack  of 
cholera  reduced  it  to  about  half  its  previous  number.  The 
average  mortality  is  about  twelve  a month.* 

The  people  of  Suez  are  a finer  and  a fairer  race  than  the 
Cairenes.  The  former  have  more  the  appearance  of  Arabs: 
their  dress  is  more  picturesque,  their  eyes  are  carefully 
darkened  with  Kohl,  and  they  wear  sandals  not  slippers. 
They  are,  according  to  all  accounts,  a turbulent  and  some- 
what fanatic  set,  fond  of  quarrels,  and  slightly  addicted 
to  “ pronunciamentos.”  The  general  programme  of  one  of 
these  latter  diversions  is  said  to  be  as  follows.  The  boys 
will  first  be  sent  by  their  fathers  about  the  town  in  a disor- 
derly mob,  and  ordered  to  cry  out  “ Long  live  the  Sultan !” 
with  its  usual  sequel,  “ Death  to  the  infidels!  ” The  infi- 
dels, Christians  or  others,  must  hear  and  may  happen  to  re- 
sent this  ; or  possibly  the  governor,  foreseeing  a disturbance, 
orders  an  ingenuous  youth  or  two  to  be  imprisoned,  or  to 
be  caned  by  the  police.  Whereupon  some  person,  rendered 
influential  by  wealth  or  religious  reputation,  publicly  com- 
plains that  the  Christians  are  all  in  all,  and  that  in  these 
evil  days  El  Islam  is  going  to  destruction.  On  this  occasion 
the  speaker  conducts  himself  with  such  insolence,  that  the 
governor  must  perforce  consign  him  to  confinement,  which 
exasperates  the  populace  still  more.  Secret  meetings  are 
now  convened,  and  in  them  the  chiefs  of  corporations  assume 
a prominent  position.  If  the  disturbance  be  intended  by  its 
main  spring  to  subside  quietly,  the  conspirators  are  allowed 
to  take  their  own  way;  they  will  drink  copiously,  become 
lions  about  midnight,  and  recover  their  hare-hearts  before 
noon  next  day.  But  if  mischief  be  intended,  a case  of 
bloodshed  is  brought  about,  and  then  nothing  can  arrest 

* This  may  appear  a large  mortality ; but  at  Alexandria  it  is  said 
the  population  is  renewed  every  fourteen  years. 


TITE  EGYPTIAN  SOLDIER. 


119 


the  torrent  of  popular  rage.  The  Egyptian,  with  all  his 
good  humor,  merriment,  and  nonchalance,  is  notorious  for 
doggedness,  when,  as  the  popular  phrase  is,  his  u blood  is 
up.”  And  this,  indeed,  is  his  chief  merit  as  a soldier.  He 
has  a certain  mechanical  dexterity  in  the  use  of  arms,  and  an 
Egyptian  regiment  will  fire  a volley  as  correctly  as  an  Eng- 
lish battalion.  But  when  the  head,  and  not  the  hands,  is 
required,  he  notably  fails,  as  all  Orientals  do.  The  reason 
of  their  superiority  in  the  field  is  their  peculiar  stubbornness, 
and  this,  together  with  their  powers  of  digestion  and  of  en- 
during hardship  on  the  line  of  march,  is  the  quality  that 
made  them  terrible  to  their  old  conquerors,  the  Turks. 


CHAPTER  IX, 


THE  PILGRIM  SHIP. 

Immense  was  the  confusion  on  the  eventful  day  of  our 
departure.  Suppose  us  standing  upon  the  beach,  on  the 
morning  of  a fiery  July  day,  carefully  watching  our  hur- 
riedly-packed goods  and  chattels,  surrounded  by  a mob  of 
idlers,  who  are  not  too  proud  to  pick  up  waifs  and  strays, 
whilst  pilgrims  rush  about  apparently  mad,  and  friends  are 
weeping,  acquaintances  vociferating  adieux,  boatmen  de- 
manding fees,  shopmen  claiming  debts,  women  shrieking 
and  talking  with  inconceivable  power,  children  crying — in 
short,  for  an  hour  or  so  we  were  in  the  thick  of  a human 
storm.  To  confound  confusion,  the  boatmen  have  moored 
their  skiff  half  a dozen  yards  away  from  the  shore,  lest  the 
porters  should  be  unable  to  make  more  than  double  their 
fare  from  the  Hajis.  Again  the  Turkish  women  raise  a 
hideous  howl,  as  they  are  carried  off  struggling  vainly 
in  brawny  arms ; the  children  howl  because  their  mothers 
howl ; and  the  men  scold  and  swear,  because  in  such 
scenes  none  may  be  silent. 

From  the  beach  we  poled  to  the  little  pier,  where  sat 
the  Bey  in  person  to  perform  a final  examination  of  our 


“BAKHSHISH”  REFUSED  BY  THE  ENGLISH. 


121 


passports.  Several  were  detected  without  the  necessary 
document.  Some  were  bastinadoed,  others  peremptorily 
ordered  back  to  Cairo,  and  the  rest  were  allowed  to  pro- 
ceed. At  about  10  a.  m.  we  hoisted  sail,  and  ran  down 
the  channel  leading  to  the  roadstead. 

Our  Pilgrim  Ship,  the  “ Golden  Wire,”  was  a Sambuk, 
of  about  fifty  tons,  with  narrow  wedge-like  bows,  a clean 
water  line,  a sharp  keel,  undecked,  except  upon  the  poop, 
which  was  high  enough  to  act  as  a sail  in  a gale  of  wind. 
She  carried  two  masts,  imminently  raking  forward,  the  main 
considerably  larger  than  the  mizen ; the  former  was  pro- 
vided with  a huge  triangular  latine,  very  deep  in  the  tack, 
but  the  second  sail  was  unaccountably  wanting.  She  had 
no  means  of  reefing,  no  compass,  no  log,  no  sounding  lines, 
nor  even  the  suspicion  of  a chart.  Such  probably  were  the 
craft  which  carried  old  Sesostris  across  the  Red  Sea  to 
Dire ; such  the  cruisers  which  once  every  three  years  left 
Ezion-Geber  for  Tarshish;  such  the  transports  of  which 
one  hundred  and  thirty  were  required  to  convey  iElius 
Gallus,  with  his  ten  thousand  men  ; and — the  East  moves 
slowly — such  most  probably  in  a.  d.  1900  will  be  the 
“ Golden  Wire,”  which  shall  convey  future  pilgrims  from 
Suez  to  El-Hejaz.  “ Bakhshish”  was  the  last  as  well  as  the 
first  odious  sound  I heard  in  Egypt.  The  owner  of  the 
shore-boat  would  not  allow  us  to  climb  the  sides  of  our 
vessel  before  paying  him  his  fare,  and  when  we  did  so  he 
asked  for  Bakhshish.  If  Easterns  would  only  imitate  the 
example  of  Europeans — I never  yet  saw  an  Englishman 
give  Bakhshish  to  a soul — the  nuisance  would  soon  be  done 
away  with.  But  on  this  occasion  all  my  companions  com- 
plied with  the  request,  and  at  times  it  is  unpleasant  to  be 
singular.  The  first  look  at  the  interior  of  our  vessel 
showed  a hopeless  sight ; for  Ali  Murad,  the  greedy  owner, 
had  promised  to  take  sixty  passengers  in  the  hold,  but  had 

6 


122  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

stretched  the  number  to  ninety-seven.  Piles  of  boxes  and 
luggage  in  every  shape  and  form  filled  the  ship  from  stem 
to  stern,  and  a torrent  of  Hajis  were  pouring  over  the 
sides  like  ants  into  the  Indian  sugar-basin.  The  poop,  too, 
where  we  had  taken  our  places,  was  covered  with  goods, 
and  a number  of  pilgrims  had  established  themselves  there 
by  might,  not  by  right. 

Presently,  to  our  satisfaction,  appeared  Saad  the  Devil, 
equipped  as  an  able  seaman,  and  looking  most  unlike  the 
proprietor  of  two  large  boxes  full  of  valuable  merchandise. 
This  energetic  individual  instantly  prepared  for  action. 
With  our  little  party  to  back  him,  he  speedily  cleared  the 
poop  of  intruders  and  their  stuff  by  the  simple  process  of 
pushing  or  rather  throwing  them  off  it  into  the  hold  below. 
W e then  settled  down  as  comfortably  as  we  could ; three 
Syrians,  a married  Turk  with  his  wife  and  family,  the  rais 
or  captain  of  the  vessel,  with  a portion  of  his  crew,  and  our 
seven  selves,  composing  a total  of  eighteen  human  beings, 
upon  a space  certainly  not  exceeding  ten  feet  by  eight. 
The  cabin — a miserable  box  about  the  size  of  the  poop,  and 
three  feet  high — was  stuffed,  like  the  hold  of  a slave  ship, 
with  fifteen  wretches,  children  and  women,  and  the  other 
ninety-seven  were  disposed  upon  the  luggage,  or  squatted 
on  the  bulwarks.  Having  some  experience  in  such  mat- 
ters, and  being  favored  by  fortune,  I found  a spare  bed- 
frame  slung  to  the  ship’s  side ; and  giving  a dollar  to  its 
owner,  a sailor — who  flattered  himself  that,  because  it  was 
his,  he  would  sleep  upon  it — I instantly  appropriated  it, 
preferring  any  hardship  outside  to  the  condition  of  a 
packed  herring  inside  the  place  of  torment. 

Our  Maghrabis  were  sturdy  young  fellows,  round- 
headed,  broad-shouldered,  tall,  and  large-limbed,  with 
frowning  eyes,  and  voices  in  a habit  of  perpetual  roar. 
Their  manners  were  rude,  and  their  faces  full  of  fierce  con- 


THE  MAHHEABLS. 


123 


tempt  or  insolent  familiarity.  A few  old  men  were  there, 
with  countenances  expressive  of  intense  ferocity  5 women 
as  savage  and  full  of  fight  as  men ; and  handsome  boys 
with  shrill  voices,  and  hands  always  upon  their  daggers. 
The  women  were  mere  bundles  of  dirty  white  rags.  The 
males  were  clad  in  Burnooses — brown  or  striped  woollen 
cloaks  with  hoods ; they  had  neither  turban  nor  tarboosh, 
trusting  to  their  thick  curly  hair,  or  to  the  prodigious 
hardness  of  their  scalps,  as  a defence  against  the  sun ; and 
there  was  not  a slipper  nor  a shoe  amongst  the  party.  Of 
course  all  were  armed ; but,  fortunately  for  us,  none  had 
anything  more  formidable  than  a cut-and-thrust  dagger 
about  ten  inches  long.  These  Maghrabis  travel  in  hordes 
under  a leader  who  obtains  the  temporary  title  of  “ Maula” 
— the  master.  He  has  generally  performed  a pilgrimage 
or  two,  and  has  collected  a stock  of  superficial  information, 
which  secures  for  him  the  respect  of  his  followers,  and  the 
profound  contempt  of  the  heaven-made  Ciceroni  of  Meccah 
and  El  Medinah.  ~No  people  endure  greater  hardships 
when  upon  the  pilgrimage  than  these  Africans,  who  trust 
almost  entirely  to  alms  and  to  other  such  dispensations  of 
Providence.  It  is  not  therefore  to  be  wondered  at  that 
they  rob  whenever  an  opportunity  presents  itself.  Several 
cases  of  theft  occurred  on  board  the  “ Golden  Wire  and 
as  a plunderer  seldom  allows  himself  to  be  baulked  by 
insufficient  defence,  they  are  perhaps  deservedly  accused 
of  having  committed  some  revolting  murders. 

The  first  thing  to  be  done  after  gaining  standing-room 
was  to  fight  for  greater  comfort.  A few  Turks,  ragged 
old  men,  were  mixed  up  with  the  Maghrabis,  and  the 
former  began  the  war  by  contemptuously  elbowing  and 
scolding  their  wild  neighbors.  The  Maghrabis,  under  their 
leader,  “ Maula  Ali,”  a burly  savage,  in  whom  I detected  a 
ridiculous  resemblance  to  an  old  and  well-remembered 


124  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINA!!  AND  MECCAH. 

schoolmaster,  retorted  so  willingly  that  in  a few  minutes 
nothing  was  to  be  seen  but  a confused  mass  of  humanity, 
each  item  indiscriminately  punching  and  pulling,  scratching 
and  biting,  butting  and  trampling,  whatever  was  obnoxious 
to  such  operations,  with  cries  of  rage,  and  all  the  accompa- 
niments of  a proper  fray.  One  of  our  party  on  the  poop, 
a Syrian,  somewhat  incautiously,  leapt  down  to  aid  his 
countrymen  by  restoring  order.  He  sank  immediately 
below  the  living  mass ; and  when  we  fished  him  out  his 
forehead  w'as  cut  open,  half  his  beard  had  disappeared,  and 
a fine  sharp  set  of  teeth  belonging  to  some  Maghrabi  had 
left  their  mark  in  the  calf  of  his  leg.  The  enemy  showed 
no  love  of  fair  play,  and  never  appeared  contented  unless 
five  or  six  of  them  were  setting  upon  a single  man.  This 
made  matters  worse.  The  weaker  of  course  drew  their 
daggers,  and  a few  bad  wounds  were  soon  given  and  re- 
ceived. In  a few  minutes  five  men  were  completely  dis- 
abled, and  the  victors  began  to  dread  the  consequences  of 
their  victory. 

Then  the  fighting  stopped,  and  as  many  could  not  find 
places,  it  was  agreed  that  a deputation  should  wait  upon 
Ali  Murad,  the  owner,  to  inform  him  of  the  crowded  state 
of  the  vessel.  After  keeping  us  in  expectation  at  least 
three  hours,  he  appeared  in  a row-boat,  and,  preserving  a 
respectful  distance,  informed  us  that  any  one  who  pleased 
might  leave  the  ship,  arid  take  back  his  fare.  This  left  the 
case  exactly  as  it  was  before ; none  would  abandon  his 
party  to  go  on  shore : so  Ali  Murad  was  rowed  off  towards 
Suez,  giving  us  a parting  injunction  to  be  good,  and  not 
fight ; to  trust  in  Allah,  and  that  Allah  would  make  all 
things  easy  to  us.  His  departure  was  the  signal  for  a 
second  fray,  which  in  its  accidents  differed  a little  from 
the  first.  During  the  previous  disturbance  we  kept  our 
places  with  weapons  in  our  hands.  This  time  we  were 


A FRAY. 


125 


summoned  by  the  Maghrabis  to  relieve  their  difficulties,  by 
taking  about  half  a dozen  of  them  on  the  poop.  Saad  the 
Devil  at  once  rose  with  an  oath,  and  threw  amongst  us  a 
bundle  of  “Nebut” — goodly  ashen  staves,  six  feet  long, 
thick  as  a man’s  wrist,  well  greased,  and  tried  in  many  a 
rough  bout.  He  shouted  to  us,  “Defend  yourselves,  if 
you  don’t  wish  to  be  the  meat  of  the  Maghrabis !”  and  to 
the  enemy,  “ Dogs  and  sons  of  dogs ! now  shall  you  see 
what  the  children  of  the  Arab  are” — “I  am  Omar  of 
Daghistan  !”  “ I am  Abdullah,  the  son  of  Joseph  !”  “ I 

am  Saad,  the  Devil !”  we  exclaimed,  “ renowning  it”  by 
this  display  of  name  and  patronymic.  To  do  the  enemy 
justice  they  showed  no  sign  otffiinehing ; they  swarmed 
towards  the  poop  like  angrydiornets,  and  encouraged  each 
other  with  loud  cries  of  “ Allah  akbar !”  But  we  had  a 
vantage  ground  about  four  feet  above  them,  and  their 
palm  sticks  and  short  daggers  could  do  nothing  against  our 
terrible  quarter-staves.  In  vain  the  “ Jacquerie”  tried  to 
scale  the  poop  and  to  overpower  us  by  numbers ; their 
courage  only  secured  them  more  broken  heads. 

At  first  I began  to  lay  on  with  main  morte , really  fear- 
ing to  kill  some  one  with  such  a weapon  ; but  it  soon  became 
evident  that  the  Maghrabis’  heads  and  shoulders  could  bear 
and  did  require  the  utmost  exertion  of  strength.  Presently 
a thought  struck  me.  A large  earthen  jar  full  of  drinking 
water,* — in  its  heavy  frame  of  wood  the  weight  might  have 
been  lOOlbs, — stood  upon  the  edge  of  the  poop,  and  the 
thick  of  the  fray  took  place  beneath.  Seeing  an  opportunity 
I crept  up  to  the  jar,  and,  without  attracting  attention,  by 


* In  these  vessels  each  traveller,  unless  a previous  bargain  be  made, 
is  expected  to  provide  his  own  water  and  fire-wood.  The  best  way, 
however,  is,  when  the  old  wooden  box  called  a tank  is  sound,  to  pay 
the  captain  for  providing  water,  and  to  keep  the  key. 


126  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAII  AND  MECCAH. 

a smart  push  with  the  shoulder  rolled  it  down  upon  the 
swarm  of  assailants.  The  fall  caused  a shriller  shriek  to  rise 
above  the  ordinary  din,  for  heads,  limbs,  and  bodies  were 
sorely  bruised  by  the  weight,  scratched  by  the  broken  pot- 
sherds, and  wetted  by  the  sudden  discharge.  A fear  that 
something  worse  might  be  forthcoming  made  the  Maghrabis 
shrink  off  towards  the  end  of  the  vessel.  After  a few 
minutes,  we,  sitting  in  grave  silence,  received  a deputation 
of  individuals  in  wThity-brown  Burnooses,  spotted  and  striped 
with  what  Mephistopheles  calls  a “ curious  juice.”  They 
solicited  peace,  which  we  granted  upon  the  condition  that 
they  would  bind  themselves  to  keep  it.  Our  heads,  shoul- 
ders, and  hands  were  penitentially  kissed,  and  presently  the 
fellows  returned  to  bind  up  their  hurts  in  dirty  rags.  We 
owed  this  victory  entirely  to  our  own  exertions,  and  the 
meek  Omar  was  by  far  the  fiercest  of  the  party. 

At  length,  about  3 p.m.  on  the  6th  of  July,  1854,  we 
shook  out  the  sail,  and,  as  it  bellied  in  the  favorable  wind, 
we  recited  the  Fat-hah  * with  up-raised  hands  wdiich  we 
afterwards  drew  down  our  faces.  As  the  “ Golden  Wire  ” 
started  from  her  place,  I could  not  help  casting  one  wistful 
look  upon  the  British  flag  floating  over  the  Consulate.  But 
the  momentary  regret  was  stifled  by  the  heart-bounding 
which  prospects  of  an  adventure  excite,  and  by  the  real 
pleasure  of  leaving  Egypt.  I had  lived  there  a stranger  in 
the  land,  and  a hapless  life  it  had  been  : in  the  streets  every 
man’s  face  was  the  face  of  a foe  as  he  looked  upon  the  Per- 
sian. Whenever  I came  in  contact  with  the  native  officials 
insolence  marked  the  event ; and  the  circumstance  of  living 
within  hail  of  my  fellow  countrymen,  and  yet  an  impossibility 
of  enjoying  their  society,  still  throws  a gloom  over  the 
memory  of  my  first  sojourn  in  Egypt. 


The  first  chapter  of  the  Koran. 


VOYAGING  ON  THE  RED  SEA. 


127 


The  ships  of  the  Red  Sea — infamous  region  of  rocks, 
reefs,  and  shoals — cruise  along  the  coast  by  day,  and  for  the 
night  lay  to  in  the  first  cove  they  can  find ; they  do  not  sail 
when  it  blows  hard,  and  as  in  winter  time  the  weather  is 
often  stormy  and  the  light  of  day  does  not  last  long,  the 
voyage  is  intolerably  slow.  At  sunset  we  stayed  our  adven- 
turous course,  and  were  still  within  sight  of  Suez,  comforta- 
bly anchored.  The  Eastern  shore  was  dotted  with  the  little 
grove  of  palm  trees  which  clusters  around  the  Uyun  Musa, 
or  Moses’  Wells;  and  on  the  west,  between  two  towering 
ridges,  lay  the  mouth  of  the  valley  down  which  the  Israel- 
ites fled  to  the  Sea  of  Sedge.  The  view  was  by  no  means 
deficient  in  a sort  of  barbarous  sjilendor.  Verdure  there 
was  literally  none,  but  under  the  violet  and  orange  tints  of 
the  sky  the  chalky  rocks  became  heaps  of  topazes,  and  the 
black  ridges  masses  of  amethyst.  The  rising  mists,  here 
silvery  white,  there  deeply  rosy,  and  the  bright  blue  of  the 
waves,*  lining  long  strips  of  golden  sand,  compensated  for 
the  want  of  softness  by  a semblance  of  savage  gorgeousness. 

Next  morning,  before  the  cerulean  hue  had  vanished 
from  the  hills,  we  set  sail.  It  was  not  long  before  we 
came  to  a proper  sense  of  our  position.  The  box  containing 
my  store  of  provisions,  and,  worse  still,  my  opium,  was 
at  the  bottom  of  the  hold,  perfectly  unapproachable ; we 
had,  therefore,  the  pleasure  of  breaking  our  fast  on  “ mare’s 
skin,”f  and  a species  of  biscuit,  hard  as  a stone  and  quite  as 

* Most  travellers  remark  that  they  have  never  seen  a brighter  blue 
than  that  of  the  Red  Sea.  It  was  the  observation  of  an  early  age  that 
“ the  Rede  Sea  is  not  more  rede  than  any  other  sea,  but  in  some  place 
thereof  is  the  gravelle  rede,  and  therefore  men  clepen  it  the  Rede  Sea.” 

\ Jild  el  Farasa,  composition  of  apricot  paste,  dried,  spread  out,  and 
folded  into  sheets,  exactly  resembling  the  article  after  which  it  is  named. 
Turks  and  Arabs  use  it  when  travelling;  they  dissolve  it  in  water,  and 
eat  it  as  a relish  with  bread  or  biscuit. 


128  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAII  AND  MECCAH. 

tasteless.  During  the  day,  whilst  unsufferable  splendor 
reigned  above,  a dashing  of  the  waters  below  kept  my  nest 
in  a state  of  perpetual  drench.  At  night  rose  a cold  bright 
moon,  with  dews  falling  so  thick  and  clammy  that  the  skin 
felt  as  though  it  would  never  be  dry  again. 

The  gale  was  light  that  day,  and  the  sunbeams  were 
fire  ; our  crew  preferred  crouching  in  the  shade  of  the  sail  to 
take  advantage  of  what  wind  there  was.  In  spite  of  our 
impatience  we  made  but  little  way,  and  near  sunset  wc 
anchored  on  a tongue  of  sand. 

That  evening  we  enjoyed  ourselves  upon  clean  sand, 
whose  surface,  drifted  by  the  wind  into  small  yellow  waves, 
by  a little  digging  and  heaping  up,  was  easily  converted 
into  the  coolest  and  most  comfortable  of  couches.  Indeed, 
after  the  canescent  heat  of  the  day,  and  the  tossing  of  our 
ill-conditioned  vessel,  we  should  have  been  contented  with 
lodgings  far  less  luxurious.  Fuel  was  readily  collected,  and 
while  some  bathed  the  others  erected  a hearth — three  large 
stones  and  a hole  open  to  leeward — lit  the  fire,  and  put  the 
pot  on  to  boil.  Shaykh  Nur  had  fortunately  brought  a line 
with  him ; we  had  been  successful  in  fishing ; a little  rice 
also  had  been  bought ; with  this  boiled  and  rock  cod  broiled 
upon  the  charcoal,  we  made  a dinner  that  caused  every  one 
to  forget  the  breakfast  of  mare’s  skin  and  hard  biscuit. 
Presently  the  rais  joined  our  party,  and  the  usual  story-tell- 
ing began.  The  old  man  knew  the  name  of  each  hill,  and 
had  a legend  for  every  nook  and  corner  in  sight.  He 
dwelt  at  length  upon  the  life  of  Abu  Zulaymah,  the  patron 
saint  of  these  seas,  whose  little  tomb  stands  at  no  great  dis- 
tance from  our  bivouac  place,  and  told  us  how  he  sits 
watching  over  the  safety  of  pious  mariners  in  a cave  among 
the  neighboring  rocks,  and  sipping  his  coffee,  which  is  brought 
in  a raw  state  from  Meccah  by  green  birds,  and  prepared 
in  the  usual  way  by  the  hands  of  ministering  angels.  He 


THE  u GOLDEN  WIRE”  AGROUND. 


129 


showed  us  the  spot  where  the  terrible  king  of  Egypt,  when 
close  upon  the  heels  of  the  children  of  Israel,  was  whelmed 
in  the  “hill  of  waters*,”  and  he  warned  us  that  next  day 
our  way  would  be  through  breakers,  and  reefs,  and  danger- 
ous currents,  over  whose  troubled  depths,  since  that  awful 
day,  the  Ifrit  of  the  storm  has  never  ceased  to  flap  his  sable 
wing.  The  wincing  of  the  hearers  proved  that  the  shaft  of 
the  old  man’s  words  was  sharp ; but  as  night  was  advancing, 
we  unrolled  our  rugs,  and  fell  asleep  upon  the  sand,  all  of 
us  happy,  for  we  had  eaten  and  drunk,  and — since  man  is  a 
hopeful  animal — expecting  on  the  morrow  that  the  Ifrit 
would  be  merciful,  and  allow  us  to  eat  fresh  dates  at  the 
harbor  of  Tur. 

Fair  visions  of  dates  doomed  to  the  Limbo  of  things 
which  should  have  been ! The  grey  dawn  looked  down 
upon  us  in  difficulties.  The  water  is  deep  near  this  coast ; 
we  had  anchored  at  high  tide  close  to  the  shore,  and  the 
ebb  had  left  us  high  and  dry.  When  this  fact  became 
apparent,  a storm  was  upon  the  point  of  breaking.  The 
Maghrabis,  but  for  our  interference,  would  have  bastina- 
doed the  rais,  who,  they  said  with  some  reason,  ought  to 
have  known  better.  When  this  phase  of  feeling  passed 
away,  they  applied  themselves  to  physical  efforts.  Physi- 
cal force,  however,  failed,  upon  which  they  changed  their 
tactics.  At  the  suggestion  of  their  u Maula,”  they  prepared 
to  burn  incense  in  honor  of  the  Shaykh  Abu  Zulaymah. 
The  material  not  being  forthcoming,  they  used  coffee,  which 
perhaps  accounts  for  the  short-comings  of  that  holy  man. 
After  this  the  rais  remembered  that  their  previous  exertions 


* Burckhardt  mentions  the  Arab  legend  that  the  spirits  of  the 
drowned  Egyptians  may  be  seen  moving  at  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  and 
Finati  adds  that  they  are  ever  busy  recruiting  their  numbers  with  ship- 
wrecked mariners. 


6* 


130  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINA!!  AND  MECCAH. 

had  not  begun  under  the  auspices  of  the  Fat-hah.  There- 
fore they  prayed,  and  then  re-applied  themselves  to  work. 
Still  they  failed.  Finally,  each  man  called  aloud  upon  his 
own  particular  saint  or  spiritual  guide,  and  rushed  forward 
as  if  he  alone  sufficed  for  the  exploit.  Shaykh  Hamid 
unwisely  quoted  the  name,  and  begged  the  assistance  of  his 
great  ancestor,  the  “ clarified-butter-seller ;”  the  obdurate 
“ Golden  Wire”  was  not  moved,  and  Hamid  retired  in 
momentary  confusion. 

It  was  now  about  nine  a.  m.,  and  the  water  had  risen 
considerably.  My  morning  had  been  passed  in  watching 
the  influx  of  the  tide,  and  the  grotesque  efforts  of  the 
Maghrabis.  When  the  vessel  showed  some  symptoms  of 
unsteadiness,  I arose,  walked  gravely  up  to  her,  ranged  the 
pilgrims  around  her  with  their  shoulders  to  the  sides,  and 
told  them  to  heave  with  might  when  they  should  hear  me 
invoke  the  revered  name  of  the  Indian  saint.  I raised  my 
hands  and  voice;  “Ya  Pirau  Pir!”  Ya  Abd  el  Kader 
Jilani  * was  the  signal.  Each  Maghrabi  worked  like  an 
Atlas,  the  “ Golden  Wire  ” canted  half  over,  and,  sliding 
heavily  through  the  sand,  once  more  floated  off  into  deep 
water.  This  was  generally  voted  a minor  miracle,  and  the 
Effendi  was  greatly  respected — for  a day  or  two. 

The  wind  was  fair,  but  we  had  all  to  re-embark,  an  ope- 
ration which  went  on  till  noon.  After  starting,  I remarked 
the  natural  cause  which  gives  this  Birkat  Faraun — “Pha- 
raoh’s Bay,” — a bad  name.  Here  the  gulf  narrows,  and  the 
winds  which  rush  down  the  clefts  and  valleys  of  the  lofty 
mountains  on  the  Eastern  and  Western  shores,  meeting 
tides  and  counter-currents,  cause  a perpetual  commotion. 
In  the  evening,  or  rather  late  in  the  afternoon,  we  anchored, 

* A celebrated  Sufi  or  mystic,  whom  many  Indians  reverence  as  the 
Arabs  do  their  Prophet. 


TUR  THE  OLD  PHCENICIAN  COLONY. 


131 


to  our  infinite  disgust,  under  a ridge  of  rocks,  behind  which 
lies  the  plain  of  Tur.  The  rais  deterred  all  from  going  on 
shore  by  terrible  stories  about  the  Bedouins  that  haunt  the 
place,  besides  which  there  was  no  sand  to  sleep  upon.  We  re- 
mained, therefore,  on  board,  that  night,  and,  making  sail  early 
the  next  morning,  threaded  through  reefs  and  sand-banks 
into  the  intricate  and  dangerous  entrance  of  Tur  about  noon. 

Nothing  can  be  meaner  than  the  present  appearance  of 
the  old  Phoenician  colony,  although  its  position  as  a harbor, 
and  its  plentiful  supply  of  fruit  and  fresh  water,  make  it  one 
of  the  most  frequented  places  on  the  coast.  The  only 
remains  of  any  antiquity — except  the  wells — are  the  forti- 
fications which  the  Portuguese  erected  to  keep  out  the 
Bedouins.  The  town  is  inhabited  principally  by  Greek  and 
other  Christians,  who  live  by  selling  water  and  provisions  to 
ships.  A fleecy  cloud  hung  lightly  over  the  majestic  head 
of  Jebel  Tur,  about  eventide,  and  the  outlines  of  the  giant 
hills  stood  “ picked  out”  from  the  clear  blue  sky.  Our  rais, 
weather-wise  man,  warned  us  that  these  were  indications  of 
a gale,  and  that,  in  case  of  rough  weather,  he  did  not  intend 
to  leave  Tur.  I was  not  sorry  to  hear  this.  We  had 
passed  a pleasant  day,  drinking  sweet  water,  and  eating  the 
dates,  grapes,  and  pomegranates,  which  the  people  of  the 
place  carry  down  to  the  beach  for  the  benefit  of  hungry 
pilgrims.  Besides  which,  there  were  various  sights  to  see, 
and  with  these  w^e  might  profitably  spend  the  morrow.  We 
therefore  pitched  the  tent  upon  the  sand,  and  busied  our- 
selves with  extricating  a box  of  provisions — a labor  render- 
ed lighter  by  the  absence  of  the  Maghrabis,  some  of  whom 
were  wandering  about  the  beach,  whilst  others  had  gone  off* 
to  fill  their  bags  with  fresh  water.  We  found  their  surli- 
ness insufferable  ; even  when  we  were  passing  from  poop  to 
forecastle,  landing  or  boarding,  they  grumbled  forth  their 
dissatisfaction. 


132  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

Our  rais  was  not  mistaken  in  his  prediction.  When 
morning  broke,  we  found  the  wind  strong,  and  the  sea 
white  with  foam.  Most  of  us  thought  lightly  of  these  ter- 
rors, but  our  valorous  captain  swore  that  he  dared  not  for 
his  life  cross  the  mouth  of  ill-omened  Akabah  in  such  a 
storm.  We  breakfasted,  therefore,  and  afterwards  set  out 
to  vis^t  Moses’  hot  baths,  mounted  on  wretched  donkeys 
wdth  pack-saddles,  ignorant  of  stirrups,  and  without  tails, 
whilst  we  ourselves  suffered  generally  from  boils,  which,  as 
usual  upon  a journey,  make  their  appearance  in  localities 
the  most  inconvenient.  After  a ride  of  two  or  three  miles, 
we  entered  the  gardens,  and  came  suddenly  upon  the  Ham- 
man.  It  is  a prim  little  bungalow,  built  by  the  present 
Pasha  of  Egypt  for  his  own  accommodation,  glaringly  white- 
washed, and  garnished  with  divans  and  calico  curtains  of  a 
gorgeous  hue.  The  guardian  had  been  warned  of  our  visit, 
and  was  present  to  supply  us  with  bathing-cloths  and  other 
necessaries.  One  by  one,  we  entered  the  cistern,  which  is 
now  in  an  inner  room.  The  water  is  about  four  feet  deep, 
warm  in  winter,  cool  in  summer,  of  a saltish  and  bitter  taste, 
but  celebrated  for  its  invigorating  qualities,  when  applied 
externally.  On  one  side  of  the  calcareous  rock,  near  the 
ground,  is  the  hole  opened  for  the  spring  by  Moses’  rod,  and 
near  it  are  the  marks  of  Moses’  nails — deep  indentations  in 
the  stone,  which  were  probably  left  there  by  some  extinct 
Saurian.  Our  cicerone  informed  us  that  formerly  the  finger 
marks  existed,  and  that  they  were  long  enough  for  a rr^m  to 
lie  in.  The  same  functionary  attributed  the  sanitary  pro- 
perties of  the  spring  to  the  blessings  of  the  Prophet,  and 
when  asked  why  Moses  had  not  made  sweet  water  to  flow, 
informed  us  that  the  great  law-giver  had  intended  the 
spring  for  bathing  in,  not  for  drinking.  We  sat  with  him, 
eating  the  small  yellow  dates  of  Tur,  which  are  delicious, 
melting  like  honey  in  the  mouth,  and  leaving  a surpassing 


ANOTHER  PILGRIM  VESSEL. 


133 


arribre  goilt.  After  finishing  sundry  pipes  and  cups  of  cof- 
fee, we  gave  the  man  a few  piastres,  and,  mounting  our 
donkeys,  started  eastward  for  the  Bir  Musa,  or  well  of 
Moses,  which  we  reached  in  half  an  hour.  It  is  a fine  old 
well,  built  round  and  domed  over  with  roughly  squared 
stones.  The  sides  of  the  pit  were  so  rugged  that  a man 
could  climb  down  them,  and  at  the  bottom  was  a pool  of 
water,  sweet  and  abundant. 

In  the  even,  when  we  returned  to  our  tent,  a Syrian, 
one  of  our  party  on  the  poop,  came  out  to  meet  us  with 
the  information  that  several  large  vessels  had  arrived  from 
Suez,  comparatively  speaking  empty,  and  that  the  captain 
of  one  of  them  would  land  us  at  Yambu  for  three  dollars 
a head.  The  proposal  was  a tempting  one.  But  presently 
it  became  apparent  that  my  companions  were  unwilling  to 
shift  their  precious  boxes,  and  moreover,  that  I should  have 
to  pay  for  those  who  could  not,  or  would  not  pay  for  them- 
selves,— that  is  to  say,  for  the  whole  party.  As  such  a dis- 
play of  wealth  would  have  been  unadvisable,  I dismissed 
the  idea  with  a sigh.  Amongst  the  large  vessels  was  one 
freighted  with  Persian  pilgrims,  a most  disagreeable  race  of 
men  on  a journey  or  a voyage.  They  would  not  land  at 
first,  because  they  feared  the  Bedouins.  They  would  not 
take  water  from  the  town  people,  because  some  of  these 
were  Christians.  Moreover,  they  insisted  upon  making 
their  own  call  to  prayer,  which  heretical  proceeding — it 
admits  five  extra  words — our  party,  orthodox  Moslems, 
would  rather  have  died  than  permitted.  When  their  crier, 
a small  wizen-faced  man,  began  the  Azan,  we  received  it 
with  a shout  of  derision,  and  some,  hastily  snatching  up 
their  weapons,  offered  him  an  opportunity  of  martyrdom. 
The  Maghrabis,  too,  hearing  that  the  Persians  were  Rafaz 
(heretics),  crowded  fiercely  round  to  do  a little  fighting  for 
the  faith.  The  long-bearded  men  took  the  alarm.  They 


134  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

were  twice  the  number  of  our  small  party,  and  therefore 
had  been  in  the  habit  of  strutting  about  with  nonchalance, 
and  looking  at  us  fixedly,  and  otherwise  demeaning  them- 
selves in  an  indecorous  way.  But  when  it  came  to  the  point, 
they  showed  the  white  feather.  These  Persians  accompa- 
nied us  to  the  end  of  our  voyage.  As  they  approached  the 
Holy  Land,  visions  of  the  “nebut”  caused  a change  for  the 
better  in  their  manners.  At  Mahar  they  meekly  endured 
a variety  of  insults,  and  at  Yambu  they  cringed  to  us  like 
dogs. 


CHAPTER  X. 


TO  YAMBU. 

On  the  11th  July,  about  dawn,  we  left  Tur,  with  the  un- 
pleasant certainty  of  not  touching  ground  for  thirty-six 
hours.  I passed  the  time  in  steadfast  contemplation  of  the 
webs  of  my  umbrella,  and  in  making  the  following  meteor- 
ological remarks. 

Morning . The  air  is  mild  and  balmy  as  that  of  an  Ita- 
lian spring ; thick  mists  roll  down  the  valleys  along  the  sea, 
and  a haze  like  mother-o’-pearl  crowns  the  headlands.  The 
distant  rocks  show  Titanic  walls,  lofty  donjons,  huge  pro- 
jecting bastions,  and  moats  full  of  deep  shade.  At  their 
base  runs  a sea  of  amethyst,  and  as  earth  receives  the  first 
touches  of  light,  their  summits,  almost  transparent,  mingle 
with  the  jasper  tints  of  the  sky.  Nothing  can  be  more 
delicious  than  this  hour.  But  morning  soon  fades.  The  sun 
bursts  up  from  behind  the  main,  a fierce  enemy,  a foe  that 
will  compel  every  one  to  crouch  before  him.  He  dyes  the 
sky  orange,  and  the  sea  “incarnadine,”  where  its  violet 
surface  is  stained  by  his  rays,  and  mercilessly  puts  to  flight 
the  mists  and  haze  and  the  little  agate-colored  masses  of 
cloud  that  were  before  floating  in  the  firmament:  the 


136  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

atmosphere  is  so  clear  that  now  and  then  a planet  is  visible. 
For  the  two  hours  following  sunrise  the  rays  are  endurable; 
after  that  they  become  a fiery  ordeal.  The  morning  beams 
oppress  you  with  a feeling  of  sickness ; their  steady  glow, 
reflected  by  the  glaring  waters,  blinds  your  eyes,  blisters 
your  skin,  and  parches  your  mouth : you  now  become  a 
monomaniac;  you  do  nothing  but  count  the  slow  hours 
that  must  “minute  by”  before  you  can  be  relieved. 

Noon . The  wind,  reverberated  by  the  glowing  hills, 
is  like  the  blast  of  a lime-kiln.  All  color  melts  away  with 
the  canescence  from  above.  The  sky  is  a dead  milk-white, 
and  the  mirror-like  sea  so  reflects  the  tint  that  you  can 
scarcely  distinguish  the  line  of  the  horizon.  After  noon  the 
wind  sleeps  upon  the  reeking  shore ; there  is  a deep  still- 
ness ; the  only  sound  heard  is  the  melancholy  flapping  of  the 
sail.  Men  are  not  so  much  sleeping  as  half  senseless;  they 
feel  as  if  a few  more  degrees  of  heat  would  be  death. 

Sunset . The  enemy  sinks  behind  the  deep  cerulean  sea, 
under  a canopy  of  gigantic  rainbow  which  covers  half  the 
face  of  heaven.  Nearest  to  the  horizon  is  an  arch  of  tawny 
orange  ; above  it  another  of  the  brightest  gold,  and  based 
upon  these  a semicircle  of  tender  sea  green  blends  with  a 
score  of  delicate  gradations  into  the  sapphire  sky.  Across 
the  rainbow  the  sun  throws  its  rays  in  the  form  of  spokes 
tinged  with  a beautiful  pink.  The  Eastern  sky  is  mantled 
with  a purple  flush  that  picks  out  the  forms  of  the  hazy  desert 
and  the  sharp-cut  hills.  Language  is  a thing  too  cold,  too 
poor,  to  express  the  harmony  and  the  majesty  of  this  hour, 
which  is  evanescent,  however,  as  it  is  lovely.  Night  falls 
rapidly,  when  suddenly  the  appearance  of  the  zodiacal  light 
restores  the  scene  to  what  it  was.  Again  the  grey  hills  and 
the  grim  rocks  become  rosy  or  golden,  the  palms  green,  the 
sands  saffron,  and  the  sea  wears  a lilac  surface  of  dimpling 
waves.  But  after  a quarter  of  an  hour  all  fades  once  more ; 


EFFECTS  OF  A THIRTY-SIX  HOURS’  SAIL. 


137 


the  cliffs  are  naked  and  ghastly  under  the  moon,  whose  light 
falling  upon  this  wilderness  of  white  crags  and  pinnacles  is 
most  strange — most  mysterious. 

Night . The  horizon  is  all  of  darkness,  and  the  sea  re- 
flects the  white  visage  of  the  moon  as  in  a mirror  of  steel. 
In  the  air  we  see  giant  columns  of  pallid  light,  distinct, 
based  upon  the  indigo-colored  waves,  and  standing  with 
their  heads  lost  in  endless  space.  The  stars  glitter  with  ex- 
ceeding brilliance.  You  feel  the  u sweet  influence  of  the 
Pleiades.”  You  are  bound  by  the  “bond  of  Orion.” 
Hesperus  bears  with  him  a thousand  things.  In  communion 
with  them  your  hours  pass  swiftly  by,  till  the  heavy  dews 
warn  you  to  cover  up  your  face  and  sleep.  And  with  one 
look  at  a certain  little  star  in  the  north,  under  which  lies 
all  that  makes  life  worth  living  through — you  fall  into 
oblivion. 

Those  thirty-six  hours  were  a trial  even  to  the  hard- 
headed  Bedouins.  The  Syrian  and  his  two  friends  were  ill. 
Omar  Effendi,  it  is  true,  had  the  courage  to  say  his  sunset 
prayers,  but  the  exertion  so  altered  him  that  he  looked 
another  man.  Salih  Shakkar  in  despair  ate  dates  till  threat- 
ened with  dysentery.  Saad  the  Devil  had  rigged  out  for 
himself  a cot  three  feet  long,  which,  arched  with  bent  bam- 
boo and  covered  with  cloaks,  he  had  slung  on  the  larboard 
side ; but  the  loud  grumbling  which  proceeded  from  his  nest 
proved  that  his  precaution  had  not  been  a remedy.  Even 
the  boy  Mohammed  forgot  to  chatter,  to  scold,  to  smoke, 
and  to  make  himself  generally  disagreeable.  The  Turkish 
lady  appeared  dying,  and  was  not  strong  enough  to  wail. 
How  the  poor  mother  stood  her  trials  so  well,  made  every 
one  wonder.  The  most  pleasant  trait  in  my  companions’ 
characters  was  the  consideration  they  showed  to  her,  and 
their  attention  to  her  children.  Whenever  one  of  the  party 
drew  forth  a little  delicacy — a few  dares  or  a pomegranate 


138  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

— they  gave  away  a share  of  it  to  the  children,  and  most  of 
them  took  their  turns  to  nurse  the  baby.  This  was  genuine 
politeness — kindness  of  heart.  It  would  be  well  for  those 
who  sweepingly  accuse  Easterns  of  want  of  gallantry  to  con- 
trast this  trait  of  character  with  the  savage  scenes  of  civili- 
zation that  take  place  among  the  “ Overlands  ” at  Cairo 
and  Suez.  No  foreigner  could  be  present  for  the  first  time 
without  bearing  away  the  lasting  impression  that  the  sons 
of  Great  Britain  are  model  barbarians.  On  board  the 
w Golden  Wire  ” Salih  Shakkar  was  the  sole  base  exception 
to  the  general  gallantry  of  my  companions. 

As  the  sun  starts  towards  the  west,  falling  harmlessly 
upon  our  heads,  we  arise,  still  faint  and  dizzy,  calling  for 
water,  which  before  we  had  not  the  strength  to  drink,  and 
pipes,  and  coffee,  and  similar  luxuries.  Our  primitive 
kitchen  is  a square  wooden  box,  lined  with  clay,  and  filled 
with  sand,  upon  which  three  or  four  large  stones  are  placed 
to  form  a hearth.  Preparations  are  now  made  for  the  even- 
ing meal,  which  is  of  the  simplest  description.  A little  rice, 
a few  dates,  or  an  onion,  will  keep  a man  alive  in  our  posi- 
tion ; a single  “ good  dinner  ” would  justify  long  odds 
against  his  seeing  the  next  evening.  Moreover,  it  is 
impossible  in  such  cases  to  have  an  appetite,  fortunately,  as 
our  store  of  provisions  is  a scanty  one.  Arabs  consider  it 
desirable  on  a journey  to  eat  hot  food  once  in  twenty-four 
hours;  so  we  determine  to  cook,  despite  all  difficulties. 
The  operation,  however,  is  by  no  means  satisfactory ; twenty 
expectants  surround  the  single  fire,  and  there  is  sure  to  be 
a quarrel  amongst  them  every  five  minutes. 

As  the  breeze,  cooled  by  the  dew,  begins  to  fan  our 
parched  faces,  we  recover  our  spirits  amazingly.  Songs  are 
sung,  and  stories  are  told,  and  rough  jests  are  bandied 
about,  till  not  unfrequently  Oriental  sensitiveness  is  sorely 
touched.  Or,  if  we  see  the  prospect  of  storm  or  calm,  we 


DAMGHAII  ANCHORAGE. 


139 


draw  forth,  and  piously  peruse,  a “ Hizlr  el  Bahr.”*  And 
lastly,  we  lie  down  upon  our  cribs,  wrapped  up  in  thickly 
padded  cotton  coverlets,  and  forget  the  troubles  of  the  past 
day,  and  the  discomforts  of  that  to  come. 

Late  on  the  evening  of  the  11th  July  we  passed  in  sight 
of  the  narrow  mouth  of  Akabah,  whose  famosi  rupes  are  a 
terror  to  the  voyagers  of  these  latitudes.  After  passing 
Akabah,  we  saw  nothing  but  sea  and  sky,  and  we  spent  a 
weary  night  and  day  tossing  upon  the  waters, — our  only 
exercise:  every  face  brightened  as,  about  sunset,  on  the  12th, 
we  suddenly  glided  into  the  mooring-place. 

“ Damghah  Anchorage” — is  scarcely  visible  from  the  sea. 
An  islet  of  limestone  rock  defends  the  entrance,  leaving  a 
narrow  passage  on  each  side.  It  is  not  before  he  enters 
that  the  mariner  discovers  the  extent  and  the  depth  of  this 
creek,  which  indents  far  into  the  land,  and  offers  20  feet  ol 
fine  clear  anchorage  which  no  swell  can  reach.  Inside  it 
looks  more  like  a lake,  and  at  night  its  color  is  gloriously 
blue  even  as  Geneva  itself. 

The  Rais,  as  usual,  attempted  to  deter  us  from  landing,  by 
romancing  about  the  “Bedoynes  and  Ascopards,”  repre- 
senting them  to  be  “ folke  ryghte  felonouse  and  foule  and 
of  cursed  kynde.”  To  which  we  replied  by  shouldering  our 
Nebuts  and  scrambling  into  the  cock-boat.  On  shore  we 
found  a few  wretched  looking  beings,  seated  upon  heaps  of 
dried  wood,  which  they  sold  to  travellers,  and  three  boat 
loads  of  Syrian  pilgrims  who  had  preceded  us.  We  often 
envied  them  their  small  swift  craft,  with  their  double  latine 
sails  disposed  in  “ hare-ears,” — which,  about  evening  time  in 
the  far  distance,  looked  like  white  gulls  alighting  on  the  pur- 
ple wave;  and  they  justified  our  envy  by  arriving  at  Yambu 


* The  peculiar  fitness  of  these  devotional  exercises,  is  derived  from 
the  supposition  that  it  makes  all  safe  upon  the  ocean  wave. 


140  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAII, 

two  days  before  us.  The  pilgrims  had  bivouacked  upon 
the  beach,  and  were  engaged  in  drinking  their  after  dinner 
coffee.  They  received  us  with  all  the  rites  of  hospitality,  as 
natives  of  the  Medinah  should  everywhere  be  received; 
we  sat  an  hour  with  them,  ate  a little  fruit,  satisfied  our 
thirst,  smoked  their  pipes,  and  when  taking  leave  blessed 
them.  Then  returning  to  the  vessel,  we  fed,  and  lost  no  time 
in  falling  asleep. 

The  dawn  of  the  next  day  saw  our  sail  flapping  in  the 
idle  air.  And  it  was  not  without  difficulty  that  in  the 
course  of  the  forenoon  we  entered  Wijh  Harbor,  distant 
from  Damghah  but  very  few  miles.  Wijh  is  also  a natural 
anchorage,  in  no  way  differing  from  that  where  we  passed 
the  night,  except  in  being  smaller  and  shallower.  The  town 
is  a collection  of  huts  meanly  built  of  round  stones,  and  clus- 
tering upon  a piece  of  elevated  rock  on  the  northern  side 
of  the  creek.  It  is  distant  about  five  miles  from  the  inland 
fort  of  the  same  name,  which  receives  the  Egyptian  caravan, 
and  thrives  like  its  port,  by  selling  water  and  provisions  to 
pilgrims. 

With  reeling  limbs  we  landed  at  Wijh,  and  finding  a 
large  coffee-house  above  and  over  the  beach,  we  installed 
ourselves  there.  But  the  Persians  who  had  preceded  us 
had  occupied  all  the  shady  places  outside ; we  were  forced 
to  content  ourselves  with  the  interior.  It  was  a building  of 
artless  construction,  consisting  of  little  but  a roof  supported 
by  wooden  posts,  roughly  hewn  from  date  trees,  and  round 
the  tamped  earthen  floor  ran  a raised  bench  of  unbaked  brick 
forming  a divan  for  mats  and  sleeping  rugs.  In  the  centre 
a huge  square  Mastabah,  or  platform,  answered  a similar  pur- 
pose. Here  and  there  appeared  attemjDts  at  long  and  side 
walls,  but  these  superfluities  had  been  allowed  to  admit  day- 
light through  large  gaps.  In  one  corner  stood  an  altar-like 
elevation,  also  of  earthen  work,  containing  a hole  for  a char- 


DANGER  OF  DETECTION. 


141 


coal  fire,  upon  which  were  three  huge  coffee  pots  dirtily 
tinned.  Near  it  were  ranged  the  Shishas,  or  Egyptian 
hookahs,  old,  exceedingly  unclean,  and  worn  by  age  and  hard 
work.  A wooden  framework,  pierced  with  circular  aper- 
tures, supported  a number  of  porous  earthenware  gtillehs, 
full  of  cold  sweet  water ; the  charge  for  these  was,  as  usual 
in  El  Hejaz,  five  paras  apiece.  Such  was  the  furniture  of 
the  cafe,  and  the  only  relief  to  the  barrenness  of  the  view 
was  a fine  mellowing  atmosphere  composed  of  smoke,  steam, 
flies,  and  gnats  in  about  equal  proportions.  I have  been 
diffuse  in  my  description  of  this  coffee-house,  as  it  was  a type 
of  its  class:  from  Alexandria  to  Aden  the  traveller  will 
everywhere  meet  with  buildings  of  the  same  kind. 

My  character  that  day  was  severely  tried.  Besides  the 
Persian  pilgrims,  a number  of  nondescripts  who  came  in 
the  same  vessel  were  hanging  about  the  coffee-house,  lying 
down,  smoking,  drinking  water,  bathing  and  correcting 
their  teeth  with  their  daggers.  One  inquisitive  man  was 
always  at  my  side.  He  called  himself  a Pathan  (Afghan 
settled  in  India)  ; he  could  speak  five  or  six  languages, 
knew  a number  of  people  everywhere,  and  had  travelled 
far  and  wide  over  Central  Asia.  These  men  are  always 
good  detectors  of  an  incognito.  I avoided  answering  his 
question  about  my  native  place,  and  after  telling  him  that 
I had  no  longer  name  or  nation,  being  a Dervish,  asked 
him,  when  he  insisted  upon  my  having  been  born  some- 
where, to  guess  for  himself.  To  my  joy  he  claimed  me 
for  a brother  Pathan,  and  in  course  of  conversation  he 
declared  himself  to  be  the  nephew  of  an  Afghan  merchant, 
a gallant  old  man  who  had  been  civil  to  me  at  Cairo.  W e 
then  sat  smoking  together  with  “ effusion.”  Becoming 
confidential,  he  complained  that  he,  a Sunni  or  orthodox 
Moslem,  had  been  abused,  maltreated,  and  beaten  by  his 
fellow  travellers,  the  heretical  pilgrims.  I naturally  offered 


142  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAII. 

to  arm  my  party,  to  take  up  our  cudgels,  and  to  revenge 
my  compatriot.  This  thoroughly  Afghan  style  of  doing 
business  could  not  fail  to  make  him  confident  of  his  man. 
He  declined,  however,  wisely  remembering  that  he  had 
nearly  a fortnight  of  the  Persians’  society  still  to  endure. 
But  he  promised  himself  the  gratification,  when  he  reached 
Meccah,  of  sheathing  his  knife  in  the  chief  offender’s  heart. 

At  8 a.m.  next  morning  we  left  Wijh,  after  passing  a 
night  tolerably  comfortable,  by  contrast,  in  the  coffee-house. 
We  took  with  us  the  stores  necessary,  for  though  our  Rais 
had  promised  to  anchor  under  Jeber  Hasan  that  evening 
no  one  believed  him.  We  sailed  among  ledges  of  rock, 
golden  sands,  green  weeds,  and  in  some  places  through 
yellow  lines  of  what  appeared  to  me  at  a distance  foam 
after  a storm.  All  day  a sailor  sat  upon  the  mast-head, 
looking  at  the  water,  which  was  transparent  as  blue  glass, 
and  shouting  out  the  direction.  This  precaution  was  some- 
what stultified  by  the  roar  of  voices,  which  never  failed  to 
mingle  with  the  warning,  but  we  wore  every  half  hour,  and 
did  not  run  aground. 

Near  sunset  the  wind  came  on  to  blow  freshly,  and  we 
cast  anchor  together  with  the  Persian  pilgrims  upon  a rock. 
This  was  one  of  the  celebrated  coral  reefs  of  the  Red  Sea, 
and  the  sight  justified  Forskal’s  emphatic  description  of  it — 
luxus  lususque  naturae . It  was  a huge  ledge  or  platform 
rising  but  little  above  the  level  of  the  deep ; the  water-side 
was  perpendicular  as  the  wall  of  a fort,  and  whilst  a frigate 
might  have  floated  within  a yard  of  it,  every  ripple  dashed 
over  the  reef,  replenishing  the  little  basins  and  hollows  in 
the  surface.  The  color  of  the  waves  near  it  was  a vivid 
amethyst.  In  the  distance  the  eye  rested  upon  what 
appeared  to  be  meadows  of  brilliant  flowers  resembling 
those  of  earth,  only  brighter  far  and  more  lovely.  Nor  was 
this  land  of  the  sea  wholly  desolate.  Gulls  and  terns  here 


PHOSPHORIC  LIGHT. 


143 


swam  the  tide,  there,  seated  upon  the  coral,  devoured  their 
prey.  In  the  air,  troops  of  birds  contended  noisily  for  a 
dead  flying-fish,  and  in  the  deep  water  they  chased  a shoal, 
which,  in  their  fright  and  hurry  to  escape  the  pursuers, 
veiled  the  surface  with  spray  and  foam.  And  as  night  came 
on  the  scene  shifted,  displaying  fresh  beauties.  Shadows 
clothed  the  background,  whose  features,  dimly  revealed, 
allowed  full  scope  to  the  imagination.  In  the  fore  part  of 
the  picture  lay  the  sea,  shining  under  the  rays  of  the  moon 
with  a metallic  lustre,  while  its  border,  where  the  wavelets 
dashed  upon  the  reef,  was  lit  by  what  the  Arabs  call  the 
“jewels  of  the  deep” — brilliant  flashes  of  phosphoric  light 
giving  an  idea  of  splendor  which  art  would  strive  in  vain  to 
imitate.  Altogether  it  was  a bit  of  fairy  land,  a spot  for 
nymphs  and  sea-gods  to  disport  upon ; you  might  have 
heard,  without  astonishment,  old  Proteus  calling  his  flocks 
with  the  wreathed  horn  ; and  Aphrodite  seated  in  her  conch 
would  have  been  only  a fit  and  proper  climax  of  its  loveliness. 

At  dawn  next  day  we  started;  we  made  Jebel  Hasan* 
about  noon,  and  an  hour  or  so  before  sunset  we  glided  into 
Marsa  Maliar. 

Wading  on  shore,  we  cut  our  feet  with  the  sharp  rocks. 
I remember  to  have  felt  the  acute  pain  of  something  run- 
ning into  my  toe,  but  after  looking  at  the  place  and  extract- 
ing what  appeared  to  be  a bit  of  thorn,  I dismissed  the 
subject,  little  guessing  the  trouble  it  was  to  give  me. 
Having  scaled  the  rocky  side  of  the  cove,  we  found  some 
half  naked  Arabs  lying  in  the  shade ; they  were  unarmed, 
and  had  nothing  about  them  except  their  villanous  coun- 
tenances wherewith  to  terrify  the  most  timid.  These  men 

* The  word  Jebel  will  frequently  occur  in  these  pages.  It  is  applied 
by  the  Arabs  to  any  rising  ground  or  heap  of  rocks,  and,  therefore, 
must  not  always  be  translated  “ mountain.” 


144  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

still  live  in  caves,  like  the  Shamud  tribe  of  tradition ; they 
are  still  Ichthyophagi,  existing  without  any  other  subsist- 
ence but  what  the  sea  affords.  They  were  unable  to  pro- 
vide us  with  dates  or  milk,  but  they  sold  us  a kind  of  fish 
called  Bui,  which,  boiled  upon  the  embers,  proved  delicious. 

Our  next  day  was  a silent  and  a weary  one,  for  we  were 
all  heartily  sick  of  being  on  board-ship.  We  should  have 
made  Yambu  in  the  evening  but  for  the  laziness  of  the 
Rais.  Having  duly  beaten  him,  we  anchored  on  the  open 
coast,  insufficiently  protected  by  a reef,  and  almost  in  sight 
of  our  destination. 

We  slept  upon  the  sands  and  rose  before  dawn,  deter- 
mined to  make  the  Rais  start  in  time  that  day.  A slip  of 
land  separated  us  from  our  haven,  but  the  wind  was  foul, 
and  by  reason  of  rocks  and  shoals,  we  had  to  make  a consi- 
derable detour . 

It  was  about  noon  on  the  12th  day  after  our  departure 
from  Suez,  when,  after  slowly  beating  up  the  narrow  creek 
leading  to  Yambu  harbor,  we  sprang  into  a shore  boat  and 
felt  new  life,  when  bidding  an  eternal  adieu  to  the 
“ Golden  Wire.” 

I might  have  escaped  much  of  this  hardship  and  suffering 
by  hiring  a vessel  to  myself.  There  would  then  have  been  a 
cabin  to  retire  into  at  night,  and  shade  from  the  sun ; more- 
over the  voyage  would  have  lasted  five,  not  twelve  days. 
But  I wished  to  witness  the  scenes  on  board  a pilgrim 
ship, — scenes  so  much  talked  of  by  the  Moslem  palmer 
home  returned.  Moreover,  the  hire  was  exorbitant,  ranging 
from  40 1.  to  50 £,  and  it  would  have  led  to  a greater  expen- 
diture, as  the  man  who  can  afford  to  take  a boat  must  pay 
in  proportion  during  his  land  journey.  In  these  countries 
you  perforce  go  on  as  you  begin  : to  “ break  one’s  expen- 
diture,” that  is  to  say,  to  retrench  one’s  expenses,  is  con- 
sidered all  but  impossible ; the  prudent  traveller,  therefore, 
will  begin  as  he  intends  to  go  on. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


THE  HALT  AT  YAMBU. 

Yanbu  el  Bahr  is  a place  of  considerable  importance,  and 
shares  with  others  the  title  of  “ Gate  of  the  Holy  City.” 
It  is  the  third  quarter  of  the  caravan  road  from  Cairo  to 
Meccah;  and  here,  as  well  as  at  El  Bedr,  pilgrims  fre- 
quently leave  behind  them  in  hired  warehouses  goods  too 
heavy  to  be  transported  in  haste,  or  too  valuable  to  risk  in 
dangerous  times.  Yambu  being  the  port  of  El  Medinah,  as 
Jeddah  is  of  Meccah,  is  supported  by  a considerable  trans- 
port trade  and  extensive  imports  from  the  harbor  on  the 
western  coasts  of  the  Red  Sea.  Here  the  Sultan’s  dominion 
is  supposed  to  begin,  wdiilst  the  authority  of  the  Pacha  of 
Egypt  ceases ; there  is  no  Nizam,  however,  in  the  town,* 
and  the  governor  is  a Sherif  or  Arab  chief. 

The  town  itself  is  in  no  wise  remarkable.  The  custom- 
house fronts  the  landing-place  upon  the  harbor ; it  is 
managed  by  Turkish  officials, — men  dressed  in  tarbooshes, 
who  repose  the  live-long  day  upon  the  divans  near  the  win- 
dows. In  the  case  of  us  travellers  they  had  a very  simple 

* The  Niz&m,  as  Europeans  now  know,  is  the  regular  Turkish 
infantry. 


146  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINA!!  AND  MECCAH. 

waj  of  doing  business,  charging  each  person  cf  the  party 
three  piastres  for  each  large  box,  but  by  no  means  troubling 
themselves  to  meddle  with  the  contents. 

The  population  of  Tambu — one  of  the  most  bigoted  and 
quarrelsome  races  in  El  Hejaz — strikes  the  eye  after  arriv- 
ing from  Egypt,  as  decidedly  a new  feature.  The  Shaykh, 
or  gentleman  of  Yambu,  is  over-armed  and  over-dressed  as 
Fashion,  the  tyrant  of  the  desert  as  well  as  of  the  court, 
dictates  to  a person  of  his  consequence.  The  civilized  tra- 
veller from  El  Medinah  sticks  in  his  waist-shawl  a loaded 
pistol,*  garnished  with  crimson  silk  cord,  but  he  partially 
conceals  the  butt-end  under  the  flap  of  his  jacket.  The 
irregular  soldier  struts  down  the  street  a small  armory  of 
weapons : one  look  at  the  man’s  countenance  suffices  to  tell 
you  what  he  is.  Here  and  there  stalk  grim  Bedouins,  wild 
as  their  native  wastes,  and  in  all  the  dignity  and  pride  of 
dirt ; they  also  are  armed  to  the  teeth,  and  even  the  pre- 
sence of  the  policeman’s  quarter-staff  cannot  keep  their 
swords  in  their  scabbards : what  we  should  call  the  peace- 
ful part  of  the  population  never  leave  the  house  without  a 
“ nebht”  (staff)  over  the  right  shoulder,  and  the  larger,  the 
longer,  and  the  heavier  the  weapon  is,  the  more  gallantry 
does  the  bearer  claim.  The  people  of  Yambu  practise  the 
use  of  this  implement  diligently;  they  become  expert  in 
delivering  a head  blow  so  violently  as  to  break  through 
any  guard,  and  with  it  they  always  decide  their  trivial 
quarrels.  The  dress  of  the  women  differs  but  little  from 
that  of  the  Egyptians,  except  in  the  face  veil,  which  is 
generally  white.  There  is  an  independent  bearing  about 

* Civilians  usually  stick  one  pistol  in  the  belt ; soldiers  or  fighting 
men  two,  or  more,  with  all  the  necessary  concomitants  of  pouches,  turn- 
screws,  and  long  iron  ramrods,  which,  opening  with  a screw,  disclose  a 
long  thin  pair  of  pincers,  wherewith  fire  is  put  upon  the  chibouque. 


BARGAINING  FOR  CAMELS. 


147 


the  people  strange  in  the  East ; they  are  proud  without 
insolence,  and  look  manly  without  blustering.  Their  walk 
partakes  somewhat  of  the  nature  of  a strut,  owing,  per- 
haps, to  the  shape  of  the  sandals,  not  a little  assisted  by  the 
self-esteem  of  the  wearer,  but  there  is  nothing  offensive  in 
it ; moreover,  the  population  has  a healthy  appearance, 
and,  fresh  from  Egypt,  I could  not  help  noticing  their  free- 
dom from  ophthalmic  disease. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  day  of  our  arrival  we  sent  for  a 
Mukharrij  * and  began  to  treat  for  camels.  We  agreed  to 
pay  three  dollars  for  each  camel,  half  in  ready  money,  the 
other  half  after  reaching  our  destination,  and  to  start  on 
the  evening  of  the  next  day  with  a grain-caravan,  guarded 
by  an  escort  of  irregular  cavalry.  I hired  two  animals, 
one  for  my  luggage  and  servant,  the  other  for  the  boy 
Mohammed  and  myself,  expressly  stipulating  that  we  were 
to  ride  the  better,  and  that  if  it  broke  down  on  the  road, 
its  place  should  be  supplied  by  another  as  good.  My 
friends  could  not  dissemble  their  uneasiness,  when  informed 
by  the  Mukharrij  that  the  Hazimi  tribe  was  “ out,”  and 
that  travellers  had  to  fight  every  day.  The  Daghistanis 
also  contributed  to  their  alarm.  “ We  met,”  said  they, 
“ between  two  hundred  and  three  hundred  devils  on  a 
Razzia  near  El  Medinah;  we  gave  them  the  Salam,  but 
they  would  not  reply,  although  we  were  all  on  dro- 
medaries. Then  they  asked  us  if  we  were  men  of 
El  Medinah,  and  we  replied,  c Yes,’  and  lastly,  they 
wanted  to  know  the  end  of  our  journey ; so  we  said  Bir 

* The  Shaykh.  or  agent  of  the  camels,  with  out  whose  assistance  it 
would  be  difficult  to  hire  beasts.  He  brings  the  Bedouins  with  him, 
talks  them  oyer  to  fair  terms,  sees  the  “ arbun,”  or  earnest  money,  deli- 
vered to  them,  and  is  answerable  for  their  not  failing  in  their  engage- 
ment. 


148  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

Abbas.”*  The  Bedouins  who  had  accompanied  the  Dag- 
histanis  belonged  to  some  tribe  unconnected  with  the 
Hazimi : the  spokesman  rolled  his  head,  as  much  as 
to  say,  “ Allah  has  preserved  us!”  “Sir,”  said  Shaykh 
Nur  to  me,  “we  must  wait  till  all  this  is  over.”  I told 
him  to  hold  his  tongue,  and  sharply  reproved  the  boy 
Mohammed,  upon  whose  manner  the  effect  of  finding 
himself  suddenly  in  a fresh  country  had  wrought  a change 
for  the  worse.  “ Why  ye  were  lions  at  Cairo — and  here, 
at  Yambu,  you  are  cats — hens !”  It  was  not  long,  how- 
ever, before  the  youth’s  impudence  returned  upon  him  with 
increased  violence. 

We  sat  through  the  afternoon  in  the  little  room  on  the 
terrace,  whose  reflected  heat,  together  with  the  fiery  winds 
from  the  wilderness,  seemed  to  incommode  even  my  com- 
panions. After  sunset  we  dined  in  the  open  air,  a body  of 
twenty : master,  servants,  children,  and  strangers.  All  the 
procurable  rugs  and  pillows  had  been  seized  to  make  a 
divan,  and  we  all  squatted  round  a large  cauldron  of  boiled 
rice,  containing  square  masses  of  mutton,  the  whole 
covered  with  clarified  butter.  Saad  the  Devil  was  now  in 
his  glory.  With  what  anecdotes  the  occasion  supplied 
him  ! — his  tongue  seemed  to  wag  with  a perpetual  motion 
— for  each  man  he  had  a boisterous  greeting,  and  to  judge 

* The  not  returning  “ Salam”  was  a sign  on  the  part  of  the  Bedouins 
that  they  were  out  to  fight,  and  not  to  make  friends ; and  the  drome- 
dary riders,  who  generally  travel  without  much  to  rob,  thought  this 
behavior  a declaration  of  desperate  designs.  The  Bedouins  asked  if 
they  were  El  Medinah  men ; because  the  former  do  not  like,  unless 
when  absolutely  necessary,  to  plunder  the  people  of  the  Holy  City. 
And  the  Daghistanis  said  their  destination  was  Bir  Abbas,  a neighbor- 
ing, instead  of  Yambu,  a distant  port,  because  those  who  travel  on  a 
long  journey,  being  supposed  to  have  more  funds  with  them,  are  more 
likely  to  be  molested. 


PREPARATIONS  FOR  TRAVELLING. 


149 


from  his  whisperings  he  must  have  been  in  every  one’s 
privacy  and  confidence.  Conversation  over,  pipes  and 
coffee  was  prolonged  to  10  p.  m. — a late  hour  in  these 
lands ; then  we  prayed  the  Ishah,*  and,  spreading  our  mats 
upon  the  terrace,  slept  in  the  open  air. 

The  forenoon  of  the  next  day  was  occupied  in  making 
sundry  small  purchases.  We  laid  in  seven  days’  provision 
for  the  journey,  repacked  our  boxes,  polished  and  loaded 
our  arms,  and  attired  ourselves  appropriately  for  the  road. 
I bought  for  my  own  conveyance  a shugduf  or  litter,  for 
which  I paid  two  dollars.  It  is  a vehicle  appropriated  to 
women  and  children,  fathers  of  families,  married  men, 
“ Shelebis,”f  and  generally  to  those  who  are  too  effemi- 
nate to  ride.  My  reason  for  choosing  it  was,  that  notes 
are  more  easily  taken  in  it  than  on  a dromedary’s  back ; 
the  excuse  of  lameness  prevented  it  detracting  from  my 
manhood,  and  I was  careful  when  entering  any  populous 
place  to  borrow  or  hire  a saddled  beast. 

Our  party  dined  early  that  day,  for  the  camels  had 
been  sitting  at  the  gate  since  noon.  We  had  the  usual 
trouble  in  loading  them ; the  owners  of  the  animals  vocife- 
rating about  the  unconscionable  weight,  the  owners  of  the 
goods  swearing  that  such  weight  a child  could  carry,  while 
the  beasts,  taking  part  with  their  proprietors,  moaned 
piteously,  roared,  made  vicious  attempts  to  bite,  and 
started  up  with  an  agility  that  threw  the  half  secured 
boxes  or  sacks  headlong  to  the  ground.  About  3 p.  m.  all 
was  ready — the  camels  formed  into  Indian  file,  and  were 
placed  standing  in  the  streets — but,  as  usual  with  Oriental 
travellers,  all  the  men  dispersed  about  the  town,  so  we  did 
not  mount  before  it  was  late  in  the  afternoon. 

I must  now  take  the  liberty  of  presenting  to  the  reader 


The  night  prayer. 


f “Exquisites.5 


150  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

an  Arab  Shaykh,  fully  equipped  for  travelling.  Nothing 
can  be  more  picturesque  than  the  costume,  and  it  is  with 
regret  that  we  see  it  exchanged  in  the  towns  and  more 
civilized  parts  for  any  other.  The  long  locks  or  the  shaven 
scalps  are  surmounted  by  a white  cotton  skull-cap,  over 
which  is  a kufiyah — a large  square  kerchief  of  silk  and 
cotton  mixed,  and  generally  of  a dull  red  color,  with  a 
bright  yellow  border,  from  which  depend  crimson  silk 
twist,  ending  in  little  tassels  that  reach  the  wearer’s  waist. 
Doubled  into  a triangle,  and  bound  with  a fillet  of  rope,  a 
skein  of  yarn,  or  a twist  of  wool,  the  kerchief  fits  the  head 
closely  behind ; it  projects  over  the  forehead,  shading  the 
eyes,  and  thus  gives  a fierce  look  to  the  countenance.  On 
certain  occasions  one  end  is  brought  round  the  lower  part 
of  the  face,  and  is  fastened  behind  the  head,  leaving  only 
the  eyes  visible.  This  veiling  the  features  is  technically 
called  Lisam — the  chiefs  generally  fight  so,  and  it  is  the 
usual  disguise  when  a man  fears  the  avenger  of  blood,  or  a 
woman  starts  to  take  her  Sar*  In  hot  weather  it  is  sup- 
posed to  keep  the  Simoom,  in  cold  weather  the  catarrh, 
from  the  lungs. 

The  body  dress  is  simply  a Kamis  or  cotton  shirt ; tight 
sleeved,  opening  in  front,  and  adorned  round  the  waist  and 
collar,  and  down  the  breast,  with  embroidery  like  net- 
work, it  extends  from  neck  to  foot.  Some  wear  wide 
trousers,  but  the  Bedouins  consider  such  things  effeminate, 
and  they  have  not  yet  fallen  into  the  folly  of  socks  and 
stockings.  Over  the  Kamis  is  thrown  a long  skirted  and 
short-sleeved  cloak  of  camel’s  hair,  called  an  Aba.  It  is 
made  in  many  patterns,  and  of  all  materials  from  pure  silk  to 
coarse  sheep’s  wool ; some  prefer  it  brown,  others  white, 
others  striped : in  El  Ilejaz  the  favorite  Aba  is  a white  one, 


* “ The  “ blood  revenge.1 


THE  POORER  CLASS  OF  ARABS. 


151 


embroidered  with  gold,  tinsel,  or  yellow  thread  in  two 
large  triangles,  capped  with  broad  bands  and  other  figures 
running  down  the  shoulders  and  sides  of  the  back.  It  is 
lined  inside  the  shoulders  and  breast  with  handsome  stuffs 
of  silk  and  cotton  mixed,  and  is  tied  in  front  by  elaborate 
strings,  and  tassels  or  acorns  of  silk  and  gold.  A sash  con- 
fines the  Kamis  at  the  waist,  and  supports  the  silver-hilted 
dagger  or  crooked  dagger,  and  the  picturesque  Arab  san- 
dal completes  the  costume.  Finally,  the  Shaykh’s  arms  are 
a matchlock  slung  behind  his  back,  and  a sword  ; in  his 
right  hand  he  carries  a light  crooked  stick  about  two  feet 
and  a half  long,  called  a Mas-hab , used  for  guiding  camels, 
or  a short  javelin. 

The  poorer  class  of  Arabs  twist  round  their  waist,  next 
to  the  skin,  a long  plait  of  greasy  leather,  to  support  the 
back,  and  they  gird  the  shirt  at  the  middle  merely  with  a 
cord,  or  with  a coarse  sash.  The  dagger  is  stuck  in  the 
sash,  and  a bandoleer  slung  over  the  shoulders  carries  their 
cartridge-case,  powder-flask,  flint  and  steel,  priming-horn, 
and  other  necessaries.  With  the  traveller,  the  waist  is  an 
elaborate  affair.  Below  all  is  worn  the  money  pouch,  con- 
cealed by  the  Kamis ; the  latter  is  girt  with  a waist  shawl, 
over  which  is  strapped  a leathern  belt  for  carrying  arms. 
The  latter  article  should  always  be  well  garnished  with  a 
pair  of  long-barrelled  and  silver-mounted  flint  pistols,  a 
large  and  a small  dagger,  and  an  iron  ramrod  with  pincers 
inside ; a little  leathern  pouch  fastened  to  the  waist  strap 
on  the  right  side  contains  cartridge,  wadding,  and  a flask 
of  priming  powder.  The  sword  hangs  over  the  shoulder 
with  crimson  silk  cords  and  huge  tassels  ; well  dressed 
men  apply  the  same  showy  ornaments  to  their  pistols.  In 
the  hand  may  be  carried  a bell-mouthed  blunderbuss,  or, 
better  still,  a long  single-barrel  gun  with  an  ounce  bore. 
All  these  weapons  must  shine  like  silver,  if  you  wish  to 


152  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 


be  respected ; for  attention  to  arms  is  here  a sign  of  manli- 
ness. 

Pilgrims,  especially  those  from  Turkey,  carry  a “ Ha- 
mail,”  to  denote  their  holy  errand.  This  is  a pocket  Koran, 
in  a handsome  gold  embroidered  crimson  velvet  or  red 
morocco  case,  slung  by  red  silk  cords  over  the  left  shoulder. 
It  must  hang  down  by  the  right  side,  and  should  never  for 
respect  depend  below  the  waist-belt.  For  this  I substituted 
a most  useful  article.  To  all  appearance  a “Hamail,”  it 
had  inside  three  compartments,  one  for  my  watch  and  com- 
pass, the  second  for  ready  money,  and  the  third  contained 
penknife,  pencils,  and  slips  of  paper,  which  I could  hold 
concealed  in  the  hollow  of  my  hand.  These  were  for  writ- 
ing and  drawing : opportunities  of  making  a “ fair  copy” 
into  the  diary-book,*  are  never  wanting  to  the  acute  tra- 
veller. He  must,  however,  beware  of  sketching  before  the 
Bedouins,  who  would  certainly  proceed  to  extreme  mea- 
sures, suspecting  him  to  be  a spy  or  a sorcerer.f  Nothing 

* My  diary-book  was  made  up  for  me  by  a Cairene : it  was  a long 
thin  volume  fitting  into  a breast-pocket,  where  it  could  be  carried  with- 
out being  seen.  I began  by  writing  notes  in  the  Arabic  character,  but 
as  no  risk  appeared,  my  journal  was  afterwards  kept  in  English.  More 
than  once,  by  way  of  experiment,  I showed  the  writing  on  a loose  slip 
of  paper  to  my  companions,  and  astonished  them  with  the  strange  cha- 
racter derived  from  Solomon  and  Alexander,  the  Lord  of  the  two  Horns, 
which  we  Afghans  still  use. 

f An  accident  of  this  kind  happened  not  long  ago  to  a German 
traveller  in  the  Hadramaut,  who  shall  be  nameless.  He  had  the  morti- 
fication to  see  his  sketch-book,  the  labor  of  months,  summarily  appro- 
priated and  destroyed  by  the  Arabs.  I was  told  by  a Hadramaut 
man  at  Cairo,  and  by  several  at  Aden,  that  the  gentleman  had  at  the 
time  a narrow  escape  with  his  life ; the  Bedouins  wished  to  put  him  to 
death  as  a spy,  sent  by  the  Frank  to  ensorceler  their  country,  but  the 
Shaykhs  forbade  bloodshed,  and  merely  deported  the  offender.  Tra- 
vellers caught  sketching  are  not  often  treated  with  such  forbearance. 


LEAVING  YAMBU. 


153 


so  effectually  puzzles  these  people  as  our  habit  of  putting 
everything  on  paper ; their  imaginations  are  set  at  work, 
and  then  the  worst  may  be  expected  from  them.  The  only 
safe  way  of  writing  in  presence  of  a Bedouin  would  be 
when  drawing  out  a horoscope  or  preparing  a charm ; he 
also  objects  not,  if  you  can  warm  his  heart  upon  the  sub- 
ject, to  seeing  you  take  notes  in  a book  of  genealogies. 
You  might  begin  with,  “ And  you,  men  of  Harb,  on  which 
origin  do  you  pride  yourselves  ?”  And  while  the  listeners 
become  fluent  upon  the,  to  them,  all  interesting  theme, 
you  could  put  down  whatever  you  please  upon  the  margin. 
The  towns-people  are  more  liberal,  and  years  ago  the  holy 
shrines  have  been  drawn,  and  even  lithographed,  by  Eastern 
artists : still,  if  you  wish  to  avoid  all  suspicion,  you  must 
rarely  be  seen  with  pen  or  with  pencil  in  hand. 

At  6 p.  m.  descending  the  stairs  of  our  Wakalat,  we 
found  the  camels  standing  loaded  in  the  street  and  shifting 
their  ground  in  token  of  impatience.*  My  shugduf,  perched 
upon  the  back  of  a tall  strong  animal,  nodded  and  swayed 
about  with  his  every  motion,  impressing  me  with  the  idea 
that  the  first  step  would  throw  it  over  the  shoulders  or  the 
crupper.  The  camel-men  told  me  I must  climb  up  the  ani- 
mal’s neck,  and  so  creep  into  the  vehicle.  But  my  foot  dis- 
abling me  from  such  exertion,  I insisted  on  their  bringing 
the  beast  to  squat,  which  they  did  grumblingly.  We  took 
leave  of  Omar  Effendi’s  brothers  and  their  dependents,  who 
insisted  on  paying  us  the  compliment  of  accompanying  us  to 
the  gate.  Then  we  mounted  and  started,  which  was  a sig- 
nal for  all  our  party  to  disperse  once  more.  Some  heard 
the  report  of  a vessel  having  arrived  from  Suez,  with  Ma- 

* All  Arabs  assert  that  it  pains  the  loaded  camel’s  feet  to  stand  still, 
and  certainly  the  “ fidgetiness  ” of  the  animal  to  start,  looks  as  if  he 
had  some  reason  to  prefer  walking. 

7* 


154  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAII  AND  MECCAH. 

hommed  Shiklibah  and  other  friends  on  board ; these  hurried 
down  to  the  harbor  for  a parting  word.  Others,  declaring 
they  had  forgotten  some  necessaries  for  the  way,  ran  off  to 
the  bazaar  to  spend  one  last  hour  in  gossiping  at  the  coffee- 
house. Then  the  sun  set,  and  prayers  must  be  said.  The 
brief  twilight  had  almost  faded  away  before  all  had  mounted. 
With  loud  cries,  we  threaded  our  way  through  long,  dusty, 
narrow  streets,  flanked  with  white-washed  habitations  at 
considerable  intervals,  and  large  heaps  of  rubbish,  sometimes 
higher  than  the  houses.  We  were  stopped  at  the  gate  to 
ascertain  if  we  were  strangers,  in  which  case  the  guard 
would  have  done  his  best  to  extract  a few  piastres  before 
allowing  our  luggage  to  pass ; but  he  soon  perceived  by  my 
companions’  accent,  that  they  were  sons  of  the  Holy  City — 
consequently,  that  the  case  was  hopeless.  The  moon  rose 
fair  and  clear,  dazzling  us  with  light  as  we  emerged  from 
the  shadowy  streets,  and  when  we  launched  into  the  Desert 
the  sweet  air  delightfully  contrasted  with  the  close  offensive 
atmosphere  of  the  town.  My  companions,  as  Arabs  will  do 
on  such  occasions,  began  to  sing. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


FROM  YAMBU  TO  BIR  ABBAS. 

Ok  the  18th  July,  about  7 p.  m.,  we  passed  through  the 
gate  of  Yambu,  and  took  a due  easterly  course.  Our  route 
lay  over  the  plain  between  the  mountains  of  Radhawh  on 
the  left  and  the  sea  on  the  right  hand ; the  land  was  desert, 
that  is  to  say,  a hard  level  plain,  strewed  with  rounded  lumps 
of  granite  and  greenstone  schist,  with  here  and  there  a dwarf 
acacia,  and  a tuft  of  rank  camel  grass.  By  the  light  of  a 
glorious  moon  nearly  at  its  full  I was  able  to  see  the  coun- 
try tolerably  well. 

Our  little  party  consisted  of  twelve  camels,  and  we  tra- 
velled in  Indian  file,  head  tied  to  tail,  with  but  one  outrider, 
Omar  Efiendi,  whose  rank  required  him  to  mount  a drome- 
dary with  showy  trappings.  All  the  party,  except  Omar 
Efiendi,  in  token  of  poverty,  were  dressed  in  the  coarsest 
and  dirtiest  of  clothes, — the  general  suit  consisting  of  a shirt 
torn  in  divers  places  and  a bit  of  rag  wrapped  round  the 
head.  They  carried  short  chibouques  without  mouth-pieces, 
and  tobacco-pouches  of  greasy  leather.  Though  the  coun- 
try hereabouts  is  perfectly  safe,  all  had  their  arms  in  readi- 
ness, and  the  unusual  silence  that  succeeded  to  the  singing, 


156  A PILGKIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

(even  Saad  the  Devil  held  his  tongue,)  was  sufficient  to  show 
how  much  they  feared  for  themselves  and  their  property. 
After  a slow  march  of  two  hours  facing  the  moon,  we  turned 
somewhat  towards  the  N.  E.,  and  began  to  pass  over  un- 
dulating ground,  in  which  a steady  rise  was  perceptible.  W e 
arrived  at  the  halting-place  at  three  in  the  morning  after  a 
short  march  of  about  eight  hours,  during  which  we  could 
not  have  passed  over  more  than  sixteen  miles.  The  camels 
were  noddl'd  / the  boxes  were  taken  off  and  piled  together 
as  a precaution  against  invisible  robbers;  my  little  tent,  the 
only  one  in  the  party,  was  pitched  ; we  then  spread  our  rugs 
upon  the  ground  and  lay  down  to  sleep. 

We  arose  at  about  9 a.  m.,  and  after  congratulating  one 
another  upon  being  once  more  in  the  “ dear  Desert,”  we 
proceeded  in  exhilarated  mood  to  light  the  fire  for  pipes  and 
breakfast.  The  meal  was  soon  dispatched,  after  which  I 
proceeded  to  inspect  our  position. 

About  a mile  to  the  westward  lay  the  little  village  of 
Musahlah,*  a group  of  miserable  clay  hovels.  On  the  south 
was  a strip  of  bright  blue  sea,  and  all  around,  an  iron  plain 
producing  naught  but  stones  and  grass-hoppers,  bounded 
northward  by  a grisly  wall  of  blackish  rock.  Here  and 
there  a shrub  fit  only  for  fuel,  or  a tuft  of  coarse  grass,  crisp 
with  heat,  met  the  eye.  All  was  sun-parched  ; the  furious 
heat  from  above  was  drying  up  the  sap  and  juice  of  the  land, 
as  the  shivering  and  quivering  atmosphere  showed ; more- 
over the  heavy  dews  of  these  regions,  forming  in  large  drops 
upon  the  plants  and  stones,  concentrate  the  morning  rays 


* The  reader  must  be  warned  that  these  little  villages  in  Arabia,  as 
in  Sindh  and  Belochistan,  are  continually  changing  their  names,  whilst 
the  larger  settlements  always  retain  the  same.  The  traveller,  too,  must 
beware  of  writing  down  the  first  answer  he  receives  ; in  one  of  our  maps 
a village  on  the  Euphrates  is  gravely  named  “ M’adri,”  (“  Don’t  know.”) 


A DINNER  IN  THE  DESERT. 


157 


upon  them  like  a system  of  burning  glasses.  After  making 
these  few  observations  I followed  the  example  of  my  com- 
panions, and  went  to  sleep. 

At  2 p.m.  we  were  roused  to  a dinner  as  simple  as  the 
breakfast  had  been.  Our  potations  began  before  dinner 
with  a vile-tasted  but  wholesome  drink  called  Akit ; * at  the 
meal  we  drank  leather-flavored  water,  and  ended  with  a 
large  cupful  of  scalding  tea.  Enormous  quantities  of  liquid 
were  consumed,  for  the  sun  seemed  to  have  got  into  our 
throats,  and  the  perspiration  trickled  from  us  as  after  a 
shower  of  rain.  / Whilst  we  were  eating,  a Bedouin  woman  C 
passed  close  by  the  tent,  leading  a flock  of  sheep  and  goats, 
seeing  which  I expressed  a desire  to  drink  milk.  My  com- 
panions sent  by  one  of  the  camel-men  a bit  of  bread,  and 
asked  in  exchange  for  a cupful  of  “ laban.”  f Thus  I learned 
that  the  Arabs,  even  in  this  corrupt  region,  still  adhere  to 
the  meaningless  custom  of  their  ancestors,  who  chose  to 
make  the  term  “ labban  ” (milk-seller)  an  opprobrium  and  a 
disgrace.  Possibly  the  origin  of  the  prejudice  might  be  the 
recognising  of  a traveller’s  guest-right  to  call  for  milk  gratis. 
However  this  may  be,  no  one  will  in  the  present  day  sell 
this  article  of  consumption,  even  at  civilized  Meccah,  except 
Egyptians,  a people  supposed  to  be  utterly  without  honor. 
As  a general  rule  in  the  Hejaz,  milk  abounds  in  the  spring, 
but  at  all  other  times  of  the  year  it  is  difficult  to  be  procured. 
The  Bedouin  woman  managed,  however,  to  send  me  back  a 
cupful. 

At  3 p.m.  we  were  ready  to  start,  and  all  saw,  with  un- 

* The  Arabs  make  it  by  evaporating  the  serous  part  of  the  milk ; 
the  remainder  is  then  formed  into  cakes  or  lumps  with  the  hand,  and 
spread  upon  hair  cloth  to  dry.  They  eat  it  with  clarified  butter,  and 
drink  it  melted  in  water.  It  is  considered  a cooling  and  refreshing  beve- 
rage, but  boasts  few  attractions  to  the  stranger. 

f In  Arabic  and  Hebrew  milk. 


158  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

speakable  gratification,  a huge  black  nimbus  rise  and  range 
itself,  like  a good  genius,  between  us  and  our  terrible  foe, 
the  sun.  We  hoped  that  it  contained  rain,  but  presently  a 
blast  of  hot  wind,  like  the  breath  of  a volcano,  blew  over 
the  plain,  and  the  air  was  filled  with  particles  of  sand.  When 
we  had  loaded  and  mounted,  my  coachmen,  two  in  number, 
came  up  to  the  shugduf  and  demanded  “ bakhshish,”  which, 
it  appears,  they  are  now  in  the  habit  of  doing  each  time  the 
traveller  starts.  I was  at  first  surprised  to  find  the  word 
here,  but  after  a few  days  of  Bedouin  society,  my  wonder 
diminished.  The  men  were  Beni-Harb  of  the  great  Hejazi 
tribe,  which  has  kept  its  blood  pure  for  the  last  thirteen  cen- 
turies, how  much  more  we  know  not — but  they  had  been 
corrupted  by  intercourse  with  pilgrims,  retaining  none  o i 
their  ancestral  qualities  but  greed  of  gain,  revengefulness, 
pugnacity,  and  a frantic  kind  of  bravery,  displayed  on 
rare  occasions.  I taunted  them  severely  with  their 
resemblance  to  the  Fellahs  of  Egypt.  They  would  have 
resented  this  with  asperity,  had  it  proceeded  from  their 
own  people,  but  the  Turkish  pilgrim — the  character  in 
which  they  knew  me,  despite  my  Arab  dress — is  a privileged 
person.  Their  outer  man  was  contemptible ; small  choco- 
late-colored beings,  stunted  and  thin,  with  mops  of  coarse 
bushy  hair  burned  brown  by  the  sun,  straggling  beards, 
vicious  eyes,  frowning  brows,  screaming  voices,  and  well- 
made,  but  attenuated,  limbs.  On  their  heads  were 
(kerchiefs)  in  the  last  stage  of  wear ; a tattered  shirt,  indigo- 
dyed,  and  girt  with  a bit  of  common  rope,  composed  their 
brief  clothing  ; and  their  feet  were  protected  from  the  stones 
by  soles  of  thick  leather,  kept  in  place  by  narrow  thongs 
tied  to  the  ancle.  Both  were  armed,  one  with  a matchlock, 
and  a Shintiyan  * in  a leathern  scabbard,  slung  over  the 

* The  Shintiyan  is  the  common  sword-blade  of  the  Bedouins.  Ex- 
cellent weapons  abound  in  this  country,  the  reason  being,  that  there  is  a 


HARAMI”  OR  THIEVES. 


159 


shoulder,  the  other  with  a nebut , and  both  showed  at  the 
waist  the  Arab’s  invariable  companion,  the  dagger. 

Our  party  was  now  a strong  one.  We  had  about  200 
camels  carrying  grain,  attended  by  their  proprietors,  trucu- 
lent looking  as  the  contrabandists  of  the  Pyrenees.  The 
escort  was  composed  of  seven  Irregular  Turkish  cavalry, 
tolerably  mounted,  and  supplied  each  with  an  armory  in 
epitome.  They  were  privily  derided  by  our  party,  who, 
being  Arabs,  had  a sneaking  fondness  for  the  Bedouins,  how- 
ever loath  they  might  be  to  see  them  amongst  the  boxes. 

For  three  hours  we  travelled  in  a south-easterly  direction 
upon  a hard  plain  and  a sandy  flat,  on  which  several  waters 
from  the  highlands  find  a passage  to  the  sea  westward. 
Gradually  we  were  siding  towards  the  mountains,  and  at 
sunset  I observed  that  we  had  sensibly  neared  them.  We 
dismounted  for  a short  halt,  and,  strangers  being  present, 
my  companions  said  their  prayers  before  sitting  down  to 
smoke — a pious  exercise  in  which  they  did  not  engage  for 
three  days  afterwards,  when  they  met  certain  acquaintances 
at  El  Hamra.  As  evening  came  on,  we  emerged  from  a 
scent  of  acacias  and  tamarisk  and  turned  due  east,  travers- 
ing an  open  country  with  a perceptible  rise.  Scarcely  was 
it  dark  before  the  cry  of  “ Harami 55  (thieves)  rose  loud  in 
the  rear.  All  the  camel-men  brandished  their  huge  staves, 
and  rushed  back  vociferating  in  the  direction  of  the  rob- 
bers. They  were  followed  by  all  the  horsemen,  and  truly, 
had  the  thieves  possessed  the  usual  acuteness  of  the  pro- 
fession, they  might  have  driven  off  the  camels  in  our  van 
with  safety  and  convenience.  But  these  contemptible  beings 

perpetual  demand  for  them,  and  when  once  purchased,  they  become 
heir-looms  in  the  family.  I have  heard  that  when  the  Beni  Bu  Ali 
tribe,  near  Ras  el  Khaymah,  was  defeated  with  slaughter  by  Sir  Lionel 
Smith’s  expedition,  the  victors  found  many  valuable  old  European 
blades  in  the  hands  of  the  slain. 


160  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

were  only  half  a dozen  in  number,  and  they  had  lighted 
their  matchlocks,  which  drew  a bullet  or  two  in  their  direc- 
tion, whereupon  they  ran  away.  This  incident  aroused  no 
inconsiderable  excitement,  for  it  seemed  ominous  of  worse 
things  about  to  happen  to  us  when  entangled  in  the  hills, 
and  the  faces  of  my  companions,  perfect  barometers  of  fair 
and  foul  tidings,  fell  to  zero.  For  nine  hours  we  journeyed 
through  a brilliant  moonlight,  and  as  the  first  grey  streak 
appeared  in  the  Eastern  sky  we  entered  a scanty  44  misyal * 
or  fiumara,  strewed  with  pebbles  and  rounded  stones,  about 
half  a mile  in  breadth,  and  flanked  by  almost  perpendicular 
hills  of  primitive  formation.  I began  by  asking  the  names 
of  peaks  and  other  remarkable  spots,  when  I found  that  a 
folio  volume  would  not  contain  a three  months’  collection ; 
every  hill  and  dale,  flat,  valley,  and  water-course  here  has 
its  proper  name  or  rather  names.  The  ingenuity  shown  by 
the  Bedouins  in  distinguishing  between  localities  the  most 
similar,  is  the  result  of  a high  organization  of  the  perceptive 
faculties,  perfected  by  the  practice  of  observing  a recur- 
rence of  landscape  features  few  in  number  and  varying  but 
little  amongst  themselves.  After  travelling  two  hours  up 
this  torrent  bed,  winding  in  an  easterly  direction,  and  cross- 
ing some  44  Harrahy  or  ridges  of  rock,  and  44  Mia ,”  steep 
descents,  wre  found  ourselves  at  8 a.m.,  after  a march  of 
about  thirty-four  miles,  at  Bir  Said  (Said’s  well),  our  desti- 
nation. 

I had  been  led  to  expect  a pastoral  scene,  wild  flowers, 
flocks,  and  flowing  waters  at  the  44  well so  I looked  with 
a jaundiced  eye  upon  a deep  hole  full  of  slightly  brackish 
water  dug  in  a tamped  hollow — a kind  of  punch-bowl  with 
granite  walls,  upon  whose  grim  surface  a few  thorns,  of 
passing  hardihood,  braved  the  sun  for  a season.  Not  a 


* The  dry  channel  of  a hill  water-course. 


A DESOLATE  VALLEY. 


161 


house  was  in  sight — it  was  as  barren  and  desolate  a spot  as 
the  sun  ever  u viewed  in  his  wide  career.”  But  this  is 
what  the  Arabian  traveller  must  expect.  He  is  to  traverse, 
for  instance,  the  Wady  El  Ward — the  vale  of  flowers  ; he 
indulges  in  sweet  recollections  of  Indian  lakes  beautiful 
with  the  lotus,  and  Persian  plains  upon  which  narcissus  is 
the  meanest  of  grasses ; he  sees  a plain  like  tamp-work, 
where  knobs  of  granite  act  daisies,  and  at  every  fifty 
yards  some  hapless  bud  or  blossom  dying  of  inanition 
among  the  stones. 

The  sun  scorched  our  feet  as  we  planted  the  tent,  and, 
after  drinking  our  breakfast,  we  passed  the  usual  day  of 
perspiration  and  semi-lethargy.  In  discomfort  man  natu- 
rally hails  a change,  even  though  it  be  one  from  bad  to 
worse.  When  our  enemy  began  slanting  towards  the 
west,  we  felt  ready  enough  to  proceed  on  our  journey. 
The  camels  were  laden  shortly  after  3 p.  m.,  and  we  started 
with  water  jars  in  our  hands  through  a storm  of  simoom. 

W e travelled  five  hours  in  a north-easterly  course  up  a 
diagonal  valley,  through  a country  fantastic  in  its  desola- 
tion— a mass  of  huge  hills,  barren  plains,  and  desert  vales. 
Even  the  sturdy  acacias  here  failed,  and  in  some  places  the 
camel  grass  could  not  find  earth  enough  to  take  root  in. 
The  road  wound  among  mountains,  rocks,  and  hills  of  gra- 
nite, over  broken  ground,  flanked  by  huge  blocks  and 
boulders,  piled  up  as  if  man’s  art  had  aided  nature  to  dis- 
figure herself.  Vast  clefts  seamed  like  scars  the  hideous 
face  of  earth ; here  they  widened  into  dark  caves,  there 
they  were  choked  up  with  glistening  drift  sand.  Not  a 
bird  or  a beast  was  to  be  seen  or  heard ; their  presence 
would  have  argued  the  vicinity  of  water,  and  though  my 
companions  opined  that  Bedouins  were  lurking  among  the 
rocks,  I decided  that  these  Bedouins  were  the  creatures  of 
their  fears.  Above,  a sky  like  polished  blue  steel,  with  a 


162  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINA!!  AND  MECCAH. 

tremendous  blaze  of  yellow  light,  glared  upon  us  without 
the  thinnest  veil  of  mist  cloud.  The  distant  prospect, 
indeed,  was  more  attractive  than  the  near  view,  because  it 
borrowed  a bright  azure  tinge  from  the  intervening  atmo- 
sphere ; but  the  jagged  peaks  and  the  perpendicular  streaks 
of  shadow  down  the  flanks  of  the  mountainous  background 
showed  that  no  change  for  the  better  was  yet  in  store  for 
us. 

Between  10  and  11  p.  m.  we  reached  human  habitations 
— a phenomenon  unseen  since  we  left  Musahhal — in  the 
long  straggling  village  called  El  Hamra,  from  the  redness 
of  the  sands  near  which  it  is  built,  or  El  Wasitah,  the 
“ half-way”  village,  because  it  is  the  middle  station  between 
Yambu  and  El  Medinah.  It  is  therefore  considerably  out 
of  place  in  Burckhardt’s  map,  and  those  who  copy  from  it 
make  it  about  half-way  nearer  the  seaport  than  it  really  is. 
We  wandered  about  nearly  an  hour  in  search  of  an  en- 
camping place,  for  the  surly  villagers  ordered  us  off  every 
flatter  bit  of  ground,  without  however  deigning  to  show 
us  where  our  jaded  beasts  might  rest.  At  last,  after  much 
wrangling,  we  found  the  usual  spot;  the  camels  were 
unloaded,  the  boxes  and  baggage  were  disposed  in  a circle 
for  greater  security  against  the  petty  pilferers  in  which  this 
part  of  the  road  abounds,  and  my  companions  spread  their 
rugs  so  as  to  sleep  upon  their  valuables.  I placed  a drawn 
sword  by  my  side,*  and  a cocked  pistol  under  my  pillow  ; 
the  saddle-bag,  a carpet  spread  upon  the  cool  loose  sand, 
formed  by  no  means  an  uncomfortable  couch,  and  upon  it  1 
enjoyed  a sound  sleep  till  daybreak. 

Rising  at  dawn,  I proceeded  to  visit  the  village.  It  is 

* This  act,  by  the  by,  I afterwards  learned  to  be  a great  act  of  im- 
prudence. Nothing  renders  the  Arab  thief  so  active  as  the  chance  of 
stealing  a good  weapon. 


DESCRIPTION  OF  EL  HAKEA. 


163 


built  upon  a narrow  shelf  at  the  top  of  a precipitous  hill  to 
the  North,  and  on  the  South  runs  a sandy  Fiumara,  about 
half  a mile  broad.  On  all  sides  are  rocks  and  mountains, 
rough  and  stony ; so  you  find  yourself  in  another  of  those 
punch-bowls  which  the  Arabs  seem  to  consider  choice  sites 
for  settlements.  Water  of  good  quality  is  readily  found 
in  it  by  digging  a few  feet  below  the  surface  at  the  angles 
where  the  stream  as  it  runs  forms  the  deepest  hollows,  and 
in  some  places  the  stony  sides  give  out  bubbling  springs.* 
El  Hamra  itself  is  a collection  of  stunted  houses,  or 
rather  hovels,  made  of  unbaked  brick  and  mud,  roofed  over 
with  palm  leaves,  and  pierced  with  air  holes,  which  occa- 
sionally boast  a bit  of  plank  for  a shutter.  It  appears 
thickly  populated  in  the  parts  where  the  walls  are  stand- 
ing, but  it  abounds  in  ruins.  It  is  well  supplied  with  pro- 
visions, which  are  here  cheaper  than  at  El  Medinah.  In 
the  village  are  a few  shops  where  grain,  huge  plantains, 
ready-made  bread,  rice,  clarified  butter,  and  other  edibles, 
are  to  be  purchased.  Palm  orchards  of  considerable  extent 
supply  it  with  dates.  The  bazaar  is,  like  the  generality  of 
such  places  in  Eastern  villages,  a long  lane,  here  covered 
with  matting,  there  open  to  the  sun,  and  the  streets' — if 
they  may  be  so  called — though  narrow,  are  full  of  dust  and 
glare.  Near  the  encamping  ground  of  caravans  is  a fort 
for  the  officer  commanding  a troop  of  Albanian  cavalry, 
whose  duty  it  is  to  defend  the  village,  to  hold  the  country, 
and  to  escort  merchant  travellers.  Around  the  El  Hamra 
fort  are  clusters  of  palm-leaf  huts,  where  the  soldiery 
lounge  and  smoke,  and  near  it  the  usual  coffee-house,  a 

* Near  El  Hamra,  at  the  base  of  the  southern  hills,  within  fire  of 
the  forts,  there  is  a fine  spring  of  sweet  water.  All  such  fountains  are 
much  prized  by  the  people,  who  call  them  “ rock-water,”  and  attribute 
to  them  tonic  and  digestive  virtues. 


164  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

shed  kept  by  an  Albanian.  These  places  are  frequented 
probably  on  account  of  the  intense  heat  inside  the  fort. 

We  passed  a comfortless  day  at  the  “ Red  village.” 
Large  flocks  of  sheep  and  goats  were  being  driven  in  and 
out  of  the  place,  but  their  surly  shepherds  would  give  no 
milk,  even  in  exchange  for  bread  and  meat.  Before  break- 
fast I bought  a moderately  sized  sheep  for  a dollar.  Shaykb 
Hamid  killed  it,  according  to  rule,  and  my  companions 
soon  prepared  a feast  of  boiled  mutton.  But  our  day  was 
especially  soured  by  a report,  that  Saad,  the  great  robber- 
chief,  and  his  brother,  were  in  the  field  ; consequently  that 
our  march  would  be  delayed  for  some  time:  every  half- 
hour  some  fresh  tattle  from  the  camp  or  the  coffee-house 
added  fuel  to  the  fire  of  our  impatience. 

Saad,  the  old  man  of  the  mountains,  was  described  to  me 
as  a little  brown  Bedouin,  contemptible  in  appearance,  but 
remarkable  for  courage  and  ready  wit.  He  has  a keen  scent 
for  treachery  and  requires  to  keep  it  in  exercise.  A blood 
feud  with  Abdul  Muttaleb,  the  present  sherif  of  Meccah, 
who  slew  his  nephew,  and  the  hostility  of  several  Sultans, 
has  rendered  his  life  an  eventful  one.  He  lost  all  his  teeth 
by  poison,  which  would  have  killed  him,  had  he  not  in  mis- 
take, after  swallowing  the  potion,  corrected  it  by  drinking 
off  a large  pot  of  clarified  butter.  Since  that  time  he  has 
lived  entirely  upon  fruits  which  he  gathers  for  himself,  and 
coffee  which  he  prepares  with  his  own  hand.  In  Sultan 
Mohammed’s  time  he  received  from  Constantinople  a gor- 
geous purse,  which  he  was  told  to  open  himself,  as  it  con- 
tained something  for  his  private  inspection.  Suspecting 
treachery  he  gave  it  for  this  purpose  to  a slave,  bidding  him 
carry  it  to  some  distance  ; the  bearer  was  shot  by  a pistol 
cunningly  fixed,  like  Rob  Roy’s,  in  the  folds  of  the  bag. 
But  whether  this  well-known  story  be  “ true  or  only  well 
found,”  it  is  certain  that  Shaykh  Saad  now  fears  the  Turks, 


MEETING  OP  CARAVANS. 


165 


even  “ when  they  bring  gifts.”  The  Sultan  sends  or  is  sup- 
posed to  send  him  presents  of  fine  horses,  robes  of  honor, 
and  a large  quantity  of  grain.  But  the  Shaykh,  trusting  to 
his  hills  rather  than  to  steeds,  sells  them  ; he  gives  away  the 
dresses  to  his  slaves,  and  distributes  the  grain  amongst  his 
clansmen.  Of  his  character  men  tell  two  tales;  some  praise 
his  charity,  and  call  him  the  friend  of  the  poor,  as  certainly  as 
he  is  a foe  to  the  rich.  Others  on  the  contrary  describe  him 
as  cruel,  cold-blooded,  and  notably,  even  among  Arabs,  re- 
vengeful and  avaricious.  The  truth  probably  lies  between 
these  two  extremes,  but  I observed  that  those  of  my  compa- 
nions who  spoke  most  highly  of  the  robber  chief  when  at  a 
distance  seemed  to  be  in  the  sudori  freddi  whilst  under  the 
shadow  of  his  hills. 

El  Hamra  is  the  third  station  from  El  Medinah,  in  the 
Darb  Sultani — “Sultan’s”  or  “High  Road,”  the  westerly 
line  leading  to  Meccah  along  the  sea-coast.  When  the  rob- 
bers permit,  the  pilgrims  prefer  this  route  to  all  others  on 
account  of  its  superior  climate,  the  facility  of  procuring  wa- 
ter and  supplies,  the  vicinity  of  the  sea,  and  the  circumstance 
of  its  passing  through  “ Bedr,”  the  scene  of  the  Prophet’s 
principal  military  exploits.  After  mid-day,  (on  the  21st 
July,)  when  we  had  made  up  our  minds  that  fate  had  deter- 
mined we  should  halt  at  El  Hamra,  a caravan  arrived  from 
Meccah,  and  the  new  travellers  had  interest  to  procure  an 
escort  and  permission  to  proceed  towards  El  Medinah  with- 
out delay.  The  good  news  filled  us  with  joy.  A little  after 
4 p.  m.  we  urged  our  panting  camels  over  the  fiery  sands  to 
join  the  Meccans,  who  were  standing  ready  for  the  march, 
on  the  other  side  of  the  torrent  bed,  and  at  five  we  started 
in  an  easterly  direction. 

My  companions  had  found  friends  and  relations  in  the 
Meccan  caravan, — the  boy  Mohammed’s  elder  brother,  about 
whom  more  anon,  was  of  the  number ; — they  were  full  of 


166  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

news  and  excitement.  At  sunset  they  prayed  with  unction: 
even  Saad  and  Hamid  had  not  the  face  to  sit  their  camels 
during  the  halt,  when  all  around  were  washing,  sanding 
themselves,  and  busy  with  their  devotions.  We  then  ate 
our  suppers,  remounted,  and  started  once  more.  Shortly 
after  night  set  in,  we  came  to  a sudden  halt.  A dozen  dif- 
ferent reports  arose  to  account  for  this  circumstance,  which 
was  occasioned  by  a band  of  Bedouins,  who  had  manned  a 
gorge,  and  sent  forward  a “parliamentary”  ordering  us  forth- 
with to  stop.  They  at  first  demanded  money  to  let  us  pass ; 
but  at  last,  hearing  that  we  were  sons  of  the  Holy  Cities, 
they  granted  us  transit  on  the  sole  condition  that  the  military, 
— whom  they,  like  Irish  peasants,  hate  and  fear, — should  re- 
turn to  whence  they  came.  Upon  this,  our  escort,  200  men, 
wheeled  their  horses  round  and  galloped  back  to  their  bar- 
racks. We  moved  onwards,  without,  however,  seeing  any 
robbers;  my  camel-man  pointed  out  their  haunts,  and 
showed  me  a small  bird  hovering  over  a place  where  he  sup- 
posed water  trickled  from  the  rock. 

Our  night’s  journey  had  no  other  incident.  We  travel- 
led over  rising  ground  with  the  moon  full  in  our  faces,  and 
about  midnight  passed  through  another  long  straggling  line 
of  villages,  called  Jadaydeh.  At  4 a.  m.,  having  travelled 
about  twenty-four  miles  due  east,  we  encamped  at  Bir  Abbas, 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


FROM  BIR  ABBAS  TO  EL  MEDINAH. 

The  position  of  Bir  Abbas  exactly  resembles  that  of  El 
Plamra,  except  that  the  bulge  of  the  hill-girt  fiumara  is  at 
this  place  about  two  miles  wide.  “ There  are  the  usual 
stone  forts  and  palm-leaved  hovels  for  the  troopers,”  sta- 
tioned here  to  hold  the  place  and  to  escort  travellers,  with 
a coffee- shed,  and  a hut  or  two,  called  a bazaar,  but  no  vil- 
lage. The  encamping  ground  was  a bed  of  loose  sand, 
with  which  the  violent  simoom  wind  filled  the  air : not  a 
tree  nor  a bush  was  in  sight ; a species  of  hardy  locust  and 
swarms  of  flies  were  the  only  remnants  of  animal  life. 
Although  we  were  now  some  hundred  feet,  to  judge  by  the 
water-shed,  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  the  mid-day  sun 
scorched  even  through  the  tent ; our  frail  tenement  was  more 
than  once  blown  down,  and  the  heat  of  the  sand  made  the 
work  of  repitching  it  a painful  one.  Again  my  companions, 
after  breakfasting,  hurried  to  the  coffee-house,  and  returned 
one  after  the  other  with  dispiriting  reports.  Before  noon 
a small  caravan  which  followed  us  came  in  with  two  dead 
bodies, — a trooper  shot  by  the  Bedouins,  and  an  Albanian 
killed  by  sun-stroke,  or  the  fiery  wind.  Shortly  after  mid- 


168  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

day  a Cafila,  travelling  in  an  opposite  direction,  passed  by 
us ; it  was  composed  chiefly  of  Indian  pilgrims,  habited  in 
correct  costume,  and  hurrying  towards  Meccah  in  hot 
haste.  They  had  been  allowed  to  pass  unmolested,  because 
probably  a pound  sterling  could  not  have  been  collected 
from  a hundred  pockets,  and  Saad  the  robber  sometimes 
does  a cheap  good  deed.  But  our  party  having  valuables 
with  them  did  not  seem  to  gather  heart  from  this  event. 
In  the  evening  we  all  went  out  to  see  some  Arab  Shaykhs 
who  were  travelling  to  Bir  Abbas  in  order  to  receive  their 
salaries.  Without  such  douceurs , it  is  popularly  said  and 
believed,  no  stone  walls  could  enable  a Turk  to  hold  El 
Hejaz  against  the  hill  men.  The  party  looked  well ; they 
were  Harbis,  dignified  old  men  in  the  picturesque  Arab 
costume,  with  erect  forms,  fierce  thin  features,  and  white 
beards,  well  armed,  and  mounted  upon  high-bred  and 
handsomely  equipped  dromedaries  from  El  Shark.*  Pre- 
ceded by  their  half-naked  clansmen,  carrying  spears  twelve 
or  thirteen  feet  long,  garnished  with  single  or  double  tufts 
of  black  ostrich  feathers,  and  ponderous  matchlocks,  which 
were  discharged  on  approaching  the  fort,  they  were  not 
without  a kind  of  barbaric  pomp. 

Immediately  after  the  reception  of  these  Shaykhs,  there 
was  a parade  of  the  Arnaut  Irregular  horse.  About  500 
of  them  rode  out  to  the  sound  of  a naJcus  or  little  kettle- 
drum, whose  puny  notes  strikingly  contrasted  with  this 
really  martial  sight.  The  men,  it  is  true,  were  mounted  on 
lean  Arab  and  Egyptian  nags,  were  ragged  looking  as  their 
clothes,  and  each  trooper  was  armed  in  his  own  way, 

* El  Shark,  “the  East,”  is  the  popular  name  in  the  Hejaz  for  the 
western  region  as  far  as  Baghdad  and  Bussora,  especially  Nijd.  The 
latter  province  supplies  the  Holy  Land  with  its  choicest  horses  and 
camels. 


THE  ARNAUT  IRREGULAR  HORSE. 


1C9 


though  all  had  swords,  pistols,  and  matchlocks,  or  firelocks 
of  some  kind.  But  they  rode  hard  as  Galway  squireens, 
and  there  was  a gallant  reckless  look  about  the  fellows 
which  prepossessed  me  strongly  in  their  favor.  Their  ani- 
mals, too,  though  notable  a screws,”  were  well  trained,  and 
their  accoutrements  were  intended  for  use,  not  show.  I 
watched  their  manoeuvres  with  curiosity.  They  left  their 
cantonments  one  by  one,  and,  at  the  sound  of  the  tom-tom, 
by  degrees  formed  a plump — column  it  could  not  be  called 
— all  huddled  together  in  confusion.  Presently  the  little 
kettle-drum  changed  its  note  and  the  parade  its  aspect. 
All  the  serried  body  dispersed  as  Light  Infantry  would, 
continuing  their  advance,  now  hanging  back,  then  making 
a rush,  and  all  the  time  keeping  up  a hot  fire  upon  the 
enemy.  At  another  signal  they  suddenly  put  their  horses 
to  full  speed,  and,  closing  upon  the  centre,  again  advanced 
in  a dense  mass.  After  three  quarters  of  an  hour  parad- 
ing, sometimes  charging  singly,  often  in  bodies,  now  to  the 
right,  then  to  the  left,  and  then  straight  in  front,  when 
requisite  halting  and  occasionally  retreating,  Parthian-like, 
the  Arnauts  turned  en  masse-  towards  their  lines.  As  they 
neared  them,  all  broke  off  and  galloped  in,  ventre  a terrey 
discharging  their  shotted  guns  with  much  recklessness 
against  objects  assumed  to  denote  the  enemy.  But  ball 
cartridge  seemed  to  be  plentiful  hereabouts ; during  the 
whole  of  this  and  the  next  day,  I remarked  that  bullets 
were  fired  away  in  mere  fun.* 

* The  Albanians,  delighting  in  the  noise  of  musketry,  notch  the  ball 
in  order  to  make  it  sing  the  louder.  When  fighting,  they  often  adopt 
the  excellent  plan — excellent,  when  rifles  are  not  procurable — of  driv- 
ing a long  iron  nail  through  the  bullet,  and  fixing  its  head  into  the 
cartridge.  Thus  the  cartridge  is  strengthened,  the  bullet  is  rifled,  and 
the  wound  which  it  inflicts  is  a fatal  one.  Round  balls  are  apt  to  pass 
into  and  out  of  savages  without  killing  them,  and  many  an  Afghan, 

8 


170  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAII  AND  MECCAH. 

A distant  dropping  of  fire-arms  ushered  in  the  evening 
of  our  first  melancholy  day  at  Bir  Abbas.  This,  said  my 
companions,  was  a sign  that  the  troops  and  the  hill-men 
were  fighting  at  no  great  distance.  They  communicated  the 
intelligence,  as  if  it  ought  to  be  an  effectual  check  upon  my 
impatience  to  proceed ; it  acted,  however,  in  the  contrary 
way.  I supposed  that  the  Bedouins,  after  battling  out  the 
night,  would  be  less  warlike  the  next  day ; the  others,  how- 
ever, by  no  means  agreed  in  opinion  with  me.  At  Yambu 
the  whole  party  had  boasted  loudly  that  the  people  of  El 
Medinah  could  keep  their  Bedouins  in  order,  and  had 
twitted  the  boy  Mohammed  with  their  superiority  in  this 
respect  to  his  townsmen,  the  Meccans.  But  now  that  a 
trial  was  impending,  I saw  none  of  the  fearlessness  so  con- 
spicuous wdien  the  peril  was  only  possible.  The  change 
was  charitably  to  be  explained  by  the  presence  of  their 
valuables ; the  “ sahharahs like  conscience,  making  cowards 
of  them  all.  But  the  young  Meccan,  who,  having  sent  on 
his  box  by  sea  from  Yambu  to  Jeddah,  felt  merry,  like  the 
empty  traveller,  would  not  lose  the  opportunity  to  pay  off 
old  scores.  He  taunted  the  Medinites  till  they  stamped 
and  raved  with  fury.  At  last,  fearing  some  violence,  and 
feeling  that  I was  answerable  for  the  boy’s  safety  to  his 
family, — having  persuaded  him  to  accompany  me  on  the 
journey, — seizing  him  by  the  nape  of  the  neck  and  the  upper 
posterior  portion  of  his  nether  garments,  I drove  him  before 
me  into  the  tent. 

That  night  I slept  within  my  shugduf,  for  it  would  have 
been  mere  madness  to  lie  on  the  open  plain  in  a place  so 
infested  by  banditti.  The  being  armed  is  but  a poor  pre- 
caution near  this  robbers’  haunt.  If  a man  be  wounded  in 

after  being  shot  or  run  through  the  body,  has  mortally  wounded  his 
English  adversary  before  falling. 


A FORCED  HALT. 


171 


the  very  act  of  plundering,  an  exorbitant  sum  must  be  paid 
for  blood-money.  If  you  kill  him,  even  to  save  your  life, 
then  adieu  to  any  chance  of  escaping  destruction.  I was 
roused  three  or  four  times  during  the  night  by  jackals  and 
dogs  prowling  about  our  little  camp,  and  thus  observed 
that  my  companions,  who  had  agreed  amongst  themselves 
to  keep  watch  by  turns,  had  all  fallen  into  a sound  sleep. 
However,  when  we  awoke  in  the  morning,  the  usual  inspec- 
tion of  goods  and  chattels  showed  that  nothing  was  miss- 
ing. 

The  next  day  was  a forced  halt,  a sore  stimulant  to  the 
traveller’s  ill-humor ; and  the  sun,  the  sand,  the  dust,  the 
furious  simoom,  and  the  want  of  certain  small  supplies, 
aggravated  our  grievance.  My  sore  foot  had  been  inflamed 
by  a dressing  of  onion  skin  which  the  Lady  Maryam  had 
insisted  upon  applying  to  it.  Still  I was  resolved  to  push 
forward  by  any  conveyance  that  could  be  procured,  and 
offered  ten  dollars  for  a fresh  dromedary  to  take  me  on  to 
El  Medinah.  Shaykh  Hamid  also  declared  he  would  leave 
his  box  in  charge  of  a friend  and  accompany  me.  Saad  the 
Devil  flew  into  a passion  at  the  idea  of  any  member  of  the 
party  escaping  the  general  evil,  and  he  privily  threatened 
Mohammed  to  cut  off  the  legs  of  any  camel  that  ventured 
into  camp.  This,  the  boy, — who,  like  a boy  of  the  world 
as  he  was,  never  lost  an  opportunity  of  making  mischief, — 
instantly  communicated  to  me,  and  it  brought  on  a furious 
dispute.  Saad  was  reproved  and  apologised  for  by  the  rest 
of  the  party,  and  presently  he  himself  was  pacified,  prin- 
cipally, I believe,  by  the  intelligence  that  no  camel  was  to 
be  hired  at  Bir  Abbas.  One  of  the  Arnaut  garrison,  who 
had  obtained  leave  to  go  to  El  Medinah,  came  to  ask  us 
if  we  could  mount  him,  as  otherwise  he  should  be  obliged 
to  walk  the  whole  way.  With  him  we  debated  the  propriety 
of  attempting  a passage  through  the  hills  by  one  of  the 


172  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

many  bye-paths  that  traverse  them ; the  project  was  amply 
discussed,  and  duly  rejected. 

We  passed  the  day  in  the  usual  manner;  all  crowded 
together  for  shelter  under  the  tent — even  Maryam  joined 
us,  loudly  informing  Ali,  her  son,  that  his  mother  was  no 
longer  a woman  but  a man — whilst  our  party  generally, 
cowering  away  from  the  fierce  glances  of  the  sun,  were 
either  eating  or  occasionally  smoking,  or  were  occupied  in 
cooling  and  drinking  water.  About  sunset-time  came  a 
report  that  we  were  to  start  that  night.  None  could 
believe  that  such  good  was  in  store  for  us ; before  sleeping, 
however,  we  placed  each  camel’s  pack  apart,  so  as  to  be 
ready  for  loading  at  a moment’s  notice,  and  we  took  care 
to  watch  that  our  Bedouins  did  not  drive  their  animals 
away  to  any  distance.  At  last  about  Up.  m.,  as  the  moon 
began  to  peep  over  the  eastern  wall  of  rock,  was  heard  the 
glad  sound  of  the  little  kettle-drum  calling  the  Albanian 
troopers  to  mount  and  march.  In  the  shortest  possible 
time  all  made  ready,  and  hurriedly  crossing  the  sandy  flat, 
we  found  ourselves  in  company  with  three  or  four  caravans, 
forming  one  large  body  for  better  defence  against  the 
dreadful  Hawamid.  By  dint  of  much  manoeuvring,  arms  in 
hand — Shaykh  Hamid  and  the  “ Devil”  took  the  prominent 
parts — we,  though  the  last  comers,  managed  to  secure  places 
about  the  middle  of  the  line. 

We  travelled  that  night  up  the  fiumara  in  an  easterly 
direction,  and  at  early  dawn  found  ourselves  in  an  ill-famed 
gorge  called  Shuab  el  Haj  (the  “Pilgrim’s  Pass”).  The 
loudest  talkers  became  silent  as  we  neared  it,  and  their 
countenances  showed  apprehension  written  in  legible  cha- 
racters. Presently  from  the  high  precipitous  cliff  on  our 
left  thin  blue  curls  of  smoke, — somehow  or  other  they 
caught  every  eye, — rose  in  the  air,  and  instantly  afterwards 
rank  the  loud  sharp  cracks  of  the  hillmen’s  matchlocks, 


THE  PILGRIM’S  PASS. 


173 


echoed  by  the  rocks  on  the  right.  A number  of  Bedouins 
were  to  be  seen  swarming  like  hornets  over  the  crests  of  the 
rocks,  boys  as  well  as  men  carrying  huge  weapons,  and 
climbing  with  the  agility  of  cats.  They  took  up  comfortable 
places  in  the  cut-throat  eminence,  and  began  firing  upon  us 
with  perfect  convenience  to  themselves.  It  was  useless  to 
challenge  the  Bedouins  to  come  down  and  fight  us  upon  the 
plain  like  men ; they  will  do  this  on  the  eastern  coast  of 
Arabia,  but  rarely,  if  ever,  in  El  Hejaz.  And  it  was  equally 
unprofitable  for  our  escort  to  fire  upon  a foe  ensconced 
behind  stones.  Besides  which,  had  a robber  been  killed, 
the  whole  country  would  have  risen  to  a man ; with  a force 
of  3,000  or  4,000,  they  might  have  gained  courage  to  over- 
power a caravan,  and  in  such  a case  not  a soul  would  have 
escaped.  As  it  was,  the  Bedouins  directed  their  fire 
principally  against  the  unhappy  Albanians.  Some  of 
these  called  for  assistance  to  the  party  of  Shaykhs  that 
accompanied  us  from  Bir  Abbas,  but  the  dignified  old  men, 
dismounting  and  squatting  round  their  pipes  in  council, 
came  to  the  conclusion  that,  as  the  robbers  would  probably 
turn  a deaf  ear  to  their  words,  they  had  better  spare  them- 
selves the  trouble  of  speaking.  We  had  therefore  nothing 
to  do  but  to  blaze  away  as  much  powder,  and  to  veil 
ourselves  in  as  much  smoke  as  possible ; the  result  of  the 
affair  was  that  we  lost  twelve  men,  besides  camels  and  other 
beasts  of  burden. 

After  another  hour’s  hurried  ride  through  the  Wady 
Sayyalah  appeared  Shuhada,  to  which  we  pushed  on, 

“ Like  nighted  swain  on  lonely  road, 

When  close  behind  fierce  goblins  tread.” 

Shuhada  is  a place  which  derives  its  name,  “ The  Mar- 
tyrs,” because  here  are  supposed  to  be  buried  forty  braves 


174  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH, 

that  fell  in  one  of  Mohammed’s  many  skirmishes.  Some 
authorities  consider  it  the  cemetery  of  the  people  of  Wady 
Sayyalah.  The  once  populous  valley  is  now  barren,  and 
one  might  easily  pass  by  the  consecrated  spot  without 
observing  a few  ruined  walls  and  a cluster  of  rude  graves 
of  the  Bedouins,  each  an  oval  of  rough  stones  lying  beneath 
the  thorn  trees  on  the  left  of  and  a little  off  the  road.  An- 
other half  hour  took  us  to  a favorite  halting-place,  Bir  El 
Hindi,*  so  called  from  some  forgotten  Indian  who  dug  a 
well  there.  But  we  left  it  behind,  wishing  to  put  as  much 
space  as  we  could  between  our  tents  and  the  nests  of  the 
Hamidah.  Then  quitting  the  fiumara,  we  struck  north- 
wards into  a well-trodden  road  running  over  stony  rising 
ground.  The  heat  became  sickening  ; here,  and  in  the  East 
generally,  at  no  time  is  the  sun  more  dangerous  than 
between  8 and  9 a.  m.  : still  we  hurried  on.  It  was  not 
before  11  a.  m.  that  we  reached  our  destination,  a rugged 
plain  covered  with  stones,  coarse  gravel,  and  thorn  trees  in 
abundance,  and  surrounded  by  inhospitable  rocks,  pinnacle, 
shaped,  of  granite  below,  and  in  the  upper  parts  fine  lime- 
stone. The  well  was  at  least  two  miles  distant,  and  not  a 
hovel  was  in  sight : a few  Bedouin  children  belonging  to  an 
outcast  tribe  fed  their  starveling  goats  upon  the  hills.  That 
night  we  must  have  travelled  about  twenty-two  miles ; the 
direction  of  the  road  was  due  east,  and  the  only  remarkable 
feature  in  the  ground  was  its  steady  rise. 

We  pitched  the  tent  under  a villanous  Mimosa,  the 

* The  Indians  sink  wells  in  Arabia  for  the  same  reason  which  impels 
them  to  dig  tanks  at  home, — “ nam  ke  waste,” — “ for  the  purpose  of 
name thereby  denoting,  together  with  a laudable  desire  for  post- 
humous fame,  a notable  lack  of  ingenuity  in  securing  it.  For  it  gene- 
rally happens  that  before  the  third  generation  has  fallen,  the  well  and 
the  tank  have  either  lost  their  original  names,  or  have  exchanged  them 
for  newer  and  better  ones. 


ILL-HUMOR. 


m 


tree  whose  shade  is  compared  by  poetic  Bedouins  to  the 
false  friend  who  deserts  you  in  your  utmost  need.  I 
enlivened  the  hot  dull  day  by  a final  dispute  with  Saad  the 
Devil.  His  alacrity  at  Yambu  obtained  for  him  the  loan 
of  a couple  of  dollars : he  had  bought  grain  at  El  Hamra, 
and  now  we  were  near  El  Medinah ; still  there  was  not  a 
word  about  repayment.  And  knowing  that  an  Oriental 
debtor  discharges  his  debt  as  he  pays  his  rent, — namely, 
with  the  greatest  unwillingness, — and  that,  on  the  other 
hand,  an  Oriental  creditor  will  devote  the  labor  of  a year 
to  recovering  a sixpence,  I resolved  to  act  as  a native  of  the 
country,  placed  in  my  position,  would,  and  by  dint  of  sheer 
dunning  and  demanding  pledges  try  to  recover  my  property. 
About  noon  Saad  the  Devil,  after  a furious  rush,  bare-headed, 
through  the  burning  sun,  flung  the  two  dollars  down  upon 
my  carpet : however,  he  presently  recovered,  and,  as  sub- 
sequent events  showed,  I had  chosen  the  right  part.  Had 
he  not  been  forced  to  repay  his  debt  he  would  have  despised 
me  as  a “ freshman,”  and  asked  for  more.  As  it  was,  the 
boy  Mohammed  bore  the  brunt  of  unpopular  feeling,  my 
want  of  liberality  being  traced  to  his  secret  and  perfidious 
admonitions.  He  supported  his  burden  the  more  philo- 
sophically, because,  as  he  notably  calculated,  every  dollar 
saved  at  El  Medinah  would  be  spent  under  his  stewardship 
at  Meccah. 

At  4 p.  m.  we  left  Suwaykah,  all  of  us  in  the  crossest 
of  humors,  and  travelled  in  a N.  E.  direction.  So  out 
of  temper  were  my  companions,  that  at  sunset,  of  the 
whole  party,  Omar  Efiendi  was  the  only  one  who  would  eat 
supper.  The  rest  sat  upon  the  ground,  pouting,  grumbling, 
and — they  had  been  allowed  to  exhaust  my  stock  of  Lata- 
kia — smoking  Syrian  tobacco  as  if  it  were  a grievance. 
Such  a game  at  naughty  children,  I have  seldom  seen 
played  even  by  the  Oriental  men.  The  boy  Mohammed 


176  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

privily  remarked  to  me  that  the  camel-men’s  beards  were 
now  in  his  fist, — meaning  that  we  were  out  of  their  kinsmen, 
the  Harb’s,  reach.  He  soon  found  an  opportunity  to  quarrel 
with  them ; and,  because  one  of  his  questions  was  not 
answered  in  the  shortest  possible  time,  he  proceeded  to 
abuse  them  in  language  which  sent  their  hands  flying  in  the 
direction  of  their  swords.  Despite,  however,  this  threaten- 
ing demeanor,  the  youth,  knowing  that  he  now  could 
safely  go  to  any  lengths,  continued  his  ill  words,  and  Man- 
sfir’s  face  was  so  comically  furious,  that  I felt  too  much 
amused  to  interfere.  At  last  the  camel-men  disappeared, 
thereby  punishing  us  most  effectually  for  our  sport.  The 
road  lay  up  rocky  hill  and  down  stony  vale  ; a tripping  and 
stumbling  dromedary  had  been  substituted  for  the  usual 
one : the  consequence  was  that  we  had  either  a totter  or  a 
tumble  once  per  mile  during  the  whole  of  that  long  night. 
In  vain  the  now  fiery  Mohammed  called  for  the  assistance 
of  the  camel-men  with  the  full  force  of  his  lungs : “ Where 
be  those  owls,  those  oxen  of  the  oxen,  those  beggars,  those 
cut-off  ones,  those  foreigners,  those  sons  of  flight  ? withered 
be  their  hands!  palsied  be  their  fingers ! the  foul  mustachioed 
fellows,  basest  of  the  Arabs,  that  ever  hammered  tent-peg, 
sneaking  cats,  goats  of  El  Akhfash ! Truly  I will  torture 
them  to  the  torture  of  oil,  the  mines  of  infamy ! the  cold  of 
countenance ! ” * The  Bedouin  brotherhood  of  the  camel- 
men  looked  at  him  wickedly,  muttering  the  while  “ By  Al- 
lah! and  by  Allah ! and  by  Allah  ! O boy,  we  will  flog  thee 
like  a hound  when  we  catch  thee  in  the  Desert ! ” Some 
days  after  our  arrival  at  Medinah,  Shaykh  Hamid  warned 

V 

* A " cold-of-countenance”  is  a fool.  Arabs  use  the  word  “ cold  ” 
in  a peculiar  way.  “ May  Allah  refrigerate  thy  countenance ! ” i.  e. 
may  it  show  misery  and  want.  “ By  Allah,  a cold  speech  I ” that  is  to 
say,  a silly  or  an  abusive  tirade. 


IN  SIGHT  OF  EL  MEDINAII.  177 

him  seriously  never  again  to  go  such  perilous  lengths,  as  the 
Beni  Harb  were  celebrated  for  shooting  or  poniarding  the 
man  who  ventured  to  use  even  the  mild  epithet  “ O jack- 
ass ! ” to  them. 

The  sun  had  risen  before  I shook  off  the  lethargic 
effects  of  such  a night.  All  around  me  were  hurrying  their 
camels,  regardless  of  rough  ground,  and  not  a soul  spoke  a 
word  to  his  neighbor.  “ Are  there  robbers  in  sight  ?” 
was  the  natural  question.  “No!”  replied  Mohammed; 
“ they  are  walking  with  their  eyes,*  they  will  presently  see 
their  homes!”  Rapidly  we  passed  the  Wady  el  Akik,  of 
which  a thousand  pretty  things  have  been  said  by  the 
Arab  poets.  It  was  as  “ dry  as  summer’s  dust,”  and  its 
“ beautiful  trees”  appeared  in  the  shape  of.  vegetable  mum- 
mies. Half  an  hour  after  leaving  the  u blessed  valley”  we 
came  to  a huge  flight  of  steps  roughly  cut  in  a long  broad 
line  of  black  scoriaceous  basalt.  This  is  called  the  Mudar- 
raj  or  flight  of  steps  over  the  western  ridge  of  the  so-called 
El  Harratain.  It  is  holy  ground;  for  the  prophet  spoke 
well  of  it.  -Arrived  at  the  top  we  passed  through  a lane 
of  black  scoria,  with  steep  banks  on  both  sides,  and  after  a 
few  minutes  a full  view  of  the  city  suddenly  opened  upon  us. 

We  halted  our  beasts  as  if  by  word  of  command.  All 
of  us  descended,  in  imitation  of  the  pious  of  old,  and  sat 
down,  jaded  and  hungry  as  we  were,  to  feast  our  eyes  with 
a view  of  the  Holy  City.  “ O Allah ! this  is  the  Haram 
(sanctuary)  of  the  Prophet;  make  it  to  us  a protection  from 
hell  fire,  and  a refuge  from  eternal  punishment ! O open 
the  gates  of  thy  mercy,  and  let  us  pass  through  them  to 
the  land  of  joy !”  and  “ O Allah,  bless  the  last  of  Prophets, 

* That  is  to  say,  they  would  use,  if  necessary,  the  dearest  and 
noblest  parts  of  their  bodies  (their  eyes)  to  do  the  duty  of’  the  basest 
( i . e.  their  feet\ 


178  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINA!!  AND  MECCAH. 

the  seal  of  prophecy,  with  blessings  in  number  as  the  stars 
of  heaven,  and  the  waves  of  the  sea,  and  the  sands  of  the 
waste — bless  him,  O Lord  of  Might  and  Majesty,  as  long  as 
the  corn  field  and  the  date  grove  continue  to  feed  man- 
kind !’”  And  again,  “ Live  for  ever,  O most  excellent  of 
Prophets  ! — live  in  the  shadow  of  happiness  during  the 
hours  of  night  and  the  times  of  day,  whilst  the  bird  of  the 
tamarisk  (the  dove)  moaneth  like  the  childless  mother, 
whilst  the  west  wind  bloweth  gently  over  the  hills  of  Nejd, 
and  the  lightning  flasheth  bright  in  the  firmament  of  El 
Hejaz  !”  Such  were  the  poetical  exclamations  that  rose  all 
around  me,  showing  how  deeply  tinged  with  imagination 
becomes  the  language  of  the  Arab  under  the  influence  of 
strong  passion  or  religious  enthusiasm.  I now  understood 
the  full  value  of  a phrase  in  the  Moslem  ritual,  “ And  when 
his  (the  pilgrim’s)  eyes  fall  upon  the  trees  of  El  Medinah , 
let  him  raise  his  voice  and  bless  the  Prophet  with  the 
choicest  of  blessings.”  In  all  the  fair  view  before  us, 
nothing  was  more  striking,  after  the  desolation  through 
which  we  had  passed,  than  the  gardens  and  orchards 
about  the  town.  It  was  impossible  not  to  enter  into  the 
spirit  of  my  companions,  and  truly  I believe  that  for  some 
minutes  my  enthusiasm  rose  as  high  as  theirs.  But  pre- 
sently, when  we  remounted,  the  traveller  returned  strong 
upon  me : I made  a rough  sketch  of  the  town,  put  ques- 
tions about  the  principal  buildings,  and  in  fact  collected 
materials  for  the  next  chapter. 

The  distance  traversed  that  night  was  about  twenty 
miles  in  a direction  varying  from  easterly  and  north-east- 
erly. We  reached  El  Medinah  on  the  25th  July,  thus 
taking  nearly  eight  days  to  travel  over  little  more  than  130 
miles.  This  journey  is  performed  with  camels  in  four  days, 
and  a good  dromedary  will  do  it  without  difficulty  in  half 
that  time. 


CHAPTER  XIY. 

THROUGH  THE  SUBURB  OP  EL  MEDINAH  TO  HAMID’S  HOUSE. 


As  we  looked  eastward  the  sun  arose  out  of  the  horizon 
of  low  hill,  blurred  and  dotted  with  small  tufted  trees, 
which  from  the  morning  mists  gained  a giant  stature,  and 
the  earth  was  stained  with  gold  and  purple.  Before  us  lay 
a spacious  plain,  bounded  in  front  by  the  undulating  ground 
of  Nejd;  on  the  left  was  a grim  barrier  of  rocks,  the  cele- 
brated Mount  Ohod,  with  a clump  of  verdure  and  a white 
dome  or  two  nestling  at  its  base.  Rightwards,  broad  streaks 
of  lilac-colored  mists  were  thick  with  gathered  dew,  there 
pierced  and  thinned  by  the  morning  rays,  stretched  over  the 
date  groves  and  the  gardens  of  Kuba,  which  stood  out  in 
emerald  green  from  the  dull  tawny  surface  of  the  plain. 
Below,  at  the  distance  of  about  two  miles  lay  El  Medinah ; 
at  first  sight  it  appeared  a large  place,  but  a closer  inspec- 
tion proved  the  impression  to  be  an  erroneous  one.  A tor- 
tuous road  from  the  Harrah  to  the  city,  wound  across  the 
plain  and  led  to  a tall  rectangular  gateway,  pierced  in  the 
ruinous  mud  wall  which  surrounds  the  suburb.  This  is  the 
“ Ambari”  entrance.  It  is  flanked  on  the  left  (speaking  as 
a sketcher)  by  the  domes  and  minarets  of  a pretty  Turkish 


180  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

building,  a “ Takiyah,”  erected  by  the  late  Mohammed  Ali 
for  the  reception  of  Dervish  travellers ; on  the  right  by  a 
long  low  line  of  white-washed  buildings  garnished  with  ugly 
square  windows,  an  imitation  of  civilised  barracks.  Begin- 
ning from  the  left  hand,  as  we  sat  upon  the  ridge,  the 
remarkable  features  of  the  town  thus  presented  themselves 
in  succession.  Outside,  amongst  the  palm-trees  to  the  north 
of  the  city,  were  the  picturesque  ruins  of  a large  old  sebil , 
or  public  fountain,  and  between  this  and  the  enceinte,  stood 
a conspicuous  building,  in  the  Turkish  pavilion  style — the 
governor’s  palace.  On  the  north-west  angle  of  the  town 
wall  is  a tall  white-washed  fort,  partly  built  upon  an  out- 
cropping mass  of  rock ; its  ramparts  and  embrasures  give 
it  a modern  and  European  appearance,  which  contrasts 
strangely  with  its  truly  Oriental  history.*  In  the  suburb 
“ El  Munakhah”  rise  the  bran-new  domes  and  minarets  of 
the  five  mosques,  standing  brightly  out  from  the  dull  grey 
mass  of  house  and  ground.  And  behind  is  the  most  easterly 
part  of  the  city : remarkable  from  afar,  is  the  gem  of  El 
Medinah,  the  four  tall  substantial  towers,  and  the  flashing 
green  dome  under  which  the  Prophet’s  remains  rest.  Half 
concealed  by  this  mass  of  buildings  and  by  the  houses  of  the 
town  are  certain  white  specks  upon  a green  surface,  the 
tombs  that  adorn  the  venerable  cemetery  of  El  Bakia.  And 
from  that  point  southwards  began  the  mass  of  palm  groves 
celebrated  in  El  Islam  as  the  “ trees  of  El  Medinah.”  The 
foreground  was  well  fitted  to  set  off  such  a view;  fields 
of  black  basaltic  scoriae  showing  clear  signs  of  a volcanic 
origin,  were  broken  up  into  huge  blocks  and  boulders, 
through  which  a descent,  tolerably  steep  for  camels,  wound 
down  into  the  plain. 

* In  the  East,  wherever  there  is  a compound  of  fort  and  city,  that 
place  has  certainly  been  in  the  habit  of  being  divided  against  itself. 


AFFECTIONATE  NATURE  OF  THE  ARABS. 


181 


After  a few  minutes’  rest  I remounted,  and  slowly  rode 
on  towards  the  gate.  Even  at  this  early  hour  the  way  was 
crowded  with  an  eager  multitude  coming  out  to  meet  the 
caravan.  My  companions  preferred  walking,  apparently  for 
the  better  convenience  of  kissing,  embracing,  and  shaking 
hands  with  relations  and  friends.  Truly  the  Arabs  show 
more  heart  on  these  occasions  than  any  Oriental  people  I 
know ; they  are  of  a more  affectionate  nature  than  the  Per- 
sians, and  their  manners  are  far  more  demonstrative  than 
those  of  the  Indians.  The  respectable  Maryam’s  younger 
son,  a pleasant  contrast  to  her  surly  elder,  was  weeping  aloud 
for  joy  as  he  ran  round  his  mother’s  camel,  he  standing  on 
tiptoe,  she  bending  double  in  vain  attempts  to  exchange  a 
kiss;  and,  generally,  when  near  relatives  or  intimates,  or 
school  companions,  met,  the  fountains  of  their  eyes  were 
opened.  Friends  and  comrades  greeted  each  other,  regard- 
less of  rank  or  fortune,  with  affectionate  embraces,  and  an 
abundance  of  gestures,  which  neither  party  seemed  to  think 
of  answering.  The  general  mode  of  embracing  was  to  throw 
one  arm  over  the  shoulder  and  the  other  round  the  side, 
placing  the  chin  first  upon  the  left  and  then  upon  the  right 
collar  bone,  and  rapidly  shifting  till  a “jam  satis ” suggested 
itself  to  both  parties.  Inferiors  saluted  their  superiors  by 
attempting  to  kiss  hands,  which  were  violently  snatched 
away ; whilst  mere  acquaintances  gave  each  other  a cordial 
“ poignee  de  mains”  and  then  raising  the  finger  tips  to  their 
lips  kissed  them  with  apparent  relish. 

Passing  through  the  Bab  Ambari  we  defiled  slowly  down 
a broad  dusty  street,  and  traversed  the  Harat , or  Quarter 
of  the  same  name,  El  Ambariyah,  the  principal  one  in  the 
Munakhah  suburb.  The  street  was  by  no  means  remarkable 
after  Cairo ; only  it  is  rather  wider  and  more  regular  than 
the  traveller  is  accustomed  to  in  Asiatic  cities.  I was  asto- 
nished to  see  on  both  sides  of  the  way,  in  so  small  a place, 


182  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

so  large  a number  of  houses  too  ruinous  to  be  occupied. 
Then  we  crossed  a bridge,— a single  little  round  arch  of 
roughly  hewn  stone,  built  over  the  bed  of  a torrent,  which 
in  some  parts  appeared  about  fifty  feet  broad,  with  banks 
shrouding  a high  and  deeply  indented  water-mark. 

The  Shaykh  had  preceded  us  early  that  morning,  in 
order  to  prepare  an  apartment  for  his  guests,  and  to  receive 
the  first  loud  congratulations  and  embraces  of  his  mother 
and  the  daughter  of  his  uncle.*  Apparently  he  had  not  con- 
cluded this  pleasing  office  when  we  arrived,  for  the  camels 
were  kneeling  at  least  five  minutes  at  his  door,  before  he 
came  out  to  offer  the  usual  hospitable  salutation.  I stared 
to  see  the  difference  of  his  appearance  this  morning.  The 
razor  had  passed  over  his  head  and  face ; the  former  was 
now  surmounted  by  a muslin  turban  of  goodly  size,  wound 
round  a new  embroidered  cap,  and  the  latter,  besides  being 
clean,  boasted  of  neat  little  mustachios  turned  up  like  two 
commas,  and  a well-trimmed  goat’s  beard  narrowed  until  it 
resembled  what  our  grammars  call  an  “ exclamation  point.” 
(!)  The  dirty  torn  shirt,  with  a bit  of  rope  round  the  loins, 
had  been  exchanged  for  a jubbah  or  outer  cloak  of  light 
pink  merino,  a long-sleeved  caftan  of  rich  flowered  stuff,  a 
fine  shirt  of  Halaili\  and  a grand  silk  sash,  of  a plaid  pat- 
tern, elaborately  fringed  at  both  ends,  and  wound  round 
two  thirds  of  his  body  for  better  display.  His  pantaloons 
were  also  of  Halaili  with  tasteful  edgings  like  a “panta- 

* Arabs,  and,  indeed,  most  Orientals,  are  generally  received,  after  re- 
turning from  a journey,  with  shrill  cries  of  joy  by  all  the  fair  part  of 
the  household,  and  this  demonstration  they  do  not  like  strangers  to 
hear. 

j*  Halaili  is  a cotton  stuff,  with  long  stripes  of  white  silk,  a favorite 
material  amongst  the  city  Arabs.  At  Constantinople,  where  the  best  is 
made,  the  piece,  which  will  cut  into  two  6hirts,  costs  about  thirty 
shillings. 


IMPROVEMENT  IN  THE  SHAYKH’S  MANNERS. 


183 


lette’s”  about  the  ancles,  and  his  bare  and  sun-burnt  feet 
had  undergone  a thorough  purification  before  being  encased 
in  new  mizz*  and  papooshes  of  bright  lemon-colored  leather 
of  the  newest  and  most  fashionable  Constantinople  cut.  In 
one  of  his  now  delicate  hands  the  Shaykh  bore  a mother-of- 
pearl  rosary,  token  of  piety,  in  the  other  a handsome  pipe 
with  a jasmine  stick,  and  an  expensive  amber  mouth-piece ; 
his  tobacco  pouch  dangling  from  his  waist,  as  well  as  the 
little  purse  in  the  bosom  pocket  of  his  coat,  was  of  broad 
cloth  richly  embroidered  with  gold.  In  course  of  time  I 
saw  that  all  my  companions  had  metamorphosed  themselves 
in  an  equally  remarkable  manner.  Like  men  of  sense  they 
appeared  in  tatters  where  they  were,  or  when  they  wished 
to  be,  unknown,  and  in  fine  linen  where  the  world  judged 
their  prosperity  by  their  attire. 

The  Shaykh,  whose  manners  had  changed  with  his  dress, 
from  the  vulgar  and  boisterous  to  a certain  staid  courtesy, 
took  my  hand,  and  led  me  up  to  the  majlis, f which  was 
swept  and  garnished  with  all  due  apparatus  for  the  forth-^ 
coming  reception  ceremony.  And  behind  us  followed  the 
boy  Mohammed,  looking  more  downcast  and  ashamed  of 
himself  than  I can  possibly  describe ; he  was  still  in  his  rags, 
and  he  felt  keenly  that  every  visitor  staring  at  him  would 
mentally  inquire  “who  may  that  snob  be?”  With  the 
deepest  dejectedness  he  squeezed  himself  into  a corner,  and 
Shaykh  Nur,  who  was  foully  dirty  as  an  Indian  en  voyage 
always  is,  would  have  joined  him  in  his  shame,  had  I not 
ordered  the  “ slave”  to  make  himself  generally  useful.  It  is 
customary  for  all  relations  and  friends  to  call  upon  the  tra- 

* The  “ Mizz”  (in  colloquial  Arabic  Misd)  are  the  tight-fitting  inner 
slippers  of  soft  Cordovan  leather,  worn  as  stockings  inside  the  slipper. 

f The  majlis  (“  the  place  of  sitting”)  is  the  drawing  or  reception 
room ; it  is  usually  in  the  first  story  of  the  house,  below  the  apartments 
of  the  women. 


184  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 


veller  the  day  he  returns,  that  is  to  say,  if  amity  is  to 
endure.  The  pipes  therefore  stood  ready  filled,  the  divans 
were  duly  spread,  and  the  coffee*  was  being  boiled  upon  a 
brazier  in  the  passage.  Scarcely  had  I taken  my  place  at 
the  cool  window  sill, — it  was  the  best  in  the  room, — before 
the  visitors  began  to  pour  in,  and  the  Shaykh  rose  to  wel- 
come and  embrace  them.  They  sat  down,  smoked,  chatted 
politics,  asked  all  manner  of  questions  about  the  other  way- 
farers and  absent  friends,  drank  coffee,  and  after  an  hour’s 
visit,  rose  abruptly,  and,  exchanging  embraces,  took  leave. 
The  little  men  entered  the  assembly,  after  an  accolade  at 
the  door,  noiselessly,  squatted  upon  the  worst  seats  with 
polite  congees  to  the  rest  of  the  assembly,  smoked,  and  took 
their  coffee,  as  it  were,  under  protest,  and  glided  out  of  the 
room  as  quietly  as  they  crept  in.  The  great  people,  gene- 
rally busy  and  consequential  individuals,  upon  whose  coun- 
tenances were  written  the  words  “ well  to  do  in  the  world,” 
appeared  with  a noise  that  made  each  person  in  the  room 
rise  reverentially  upon  his  feet,  sat  down  with  importance, 
monopolised  the  conversation,  and,  departing  in  a dignified 

* The  coffee  drank  at  El  Medinah  is  generally  of  a good  quality.  In 
Egypt  that  beverage  in  the  common  coffee-shops  is, — as  required  to  be 
by  the  people  who  frequent  those  places, — “ bitter  as  death,  black  as 
Satan,  and  hot  as  Jehannum.”  To  effect  this  desideratum,  therefore, 
they  toast  the  grain  to  blackness,  boil  it  to  bitterness,  and  then  drink 
scalding  stuff  of  the  consistency  of  water-gruel.  At  El  Medinah,  on  the 
contrary, — as  indeed  in  the  houses  of  the  better  classes  even  in  Egypt, — 
the  grain  is  carefully  picked,  and  that  the  flavor  may  be  preserved,  it  is 
never  put  upon  the  fire  until  required.  It  is  toasted  too  till  it  becomes 
yellow,  not  black ; and  afterwards  is  bruised,  not  pounded  to  powder. 
The  water  into  which  it  is  thrown  is  allowed  to  boil  up  three  times, 
after  which  a cold  sprinkling  is  administered  to  clear  it,  and  then  the 
fine  light-dun  infusion  is  poured  off  into  another  pot.  The  Arabs  sel* 
dom  drink  more  than  one  cup  of  coffee  at  a time,  but  with  many  the 
time  is  every  half  hour  of  the  day. 


A SPECIMEN  OF  ARAB  CHILDREN. 


185 


manner,  expected  all  to  be  standing  on  the  occasion.  The 
Holy  war,  as  usual,  was  the  grand  topic  of  conversation. 

The  Sultan  had  ordered  the  Czar  to  become  a Moslem. 

The  Czar  had  sued  for  peace,  and  offered  tribute  and  fealty. 

But  the  Sultan  had  exclaimed,  u No,  by  Allah ! El  Islam !” 

The  Czar  could  not  be  expected  to  take  such  a step  without 
a little  hesitation,  but  “ Allah  smites  the  faces  of  the  Infi- 
dels !”  Abdel  Mejid  would  dispose  of  the  “ Moskow”*  in  a 
short  time  ; after  which  he  would  turn  his  victorious  army  ( 
against  all  the  idolaters  of  Feringistan,  beginning  with  the 
English,  the  French,  and  the  Aroam  or  Greeks.  Amongst 
much  of  this  nonsense, — when  applied  to  for  my  opinion,  I 
was  careful  to  make  it  popular, — I heard  news  foreboding  no 
good  to  my  journey  towards  Muscat.  The  Bedouins  had 
decided  that  there  was  to  be  an  Arab  contingent,  and  had 
been  looking  forward  to  the  spoils  of  Europe ; this  had 
caused  quarrels,  as  all  the  men  wanted  to  go,  and  not  a ten- 
year-old  would  be  left  behind.  The  consequence  was,  that 
this  amiable  people  was  fighting  in  all  directions.  At  least 
so  said  the  visitors,  and  I afterwards  found  out  that  they 
were  not  far  wrong. 

To  the  plague  of  strangers  succeeded  that  of  children. 

No  sooner  did  the  majlis  become,  comparatively  speaking, 
vacant,  than  they  rushed  in  en  masse ; treading  upon  our 
toes,  making  the  noise  of  a nursery  of  madlings,  pulling  to 
pieces  everything  they  could  lay  their  hands  upon,  and 
using  language  that  would  have  alarmed  an  old  man-o’- 
war’s-man.f  In  fact,  no  one  can  conceive  the  plague  but 

* The  common  name  for  the  Russians  in  Egypt  and  El  Hejaz. 

f Parents  and  full-grown  men  amuse  themselves  with  grossly  abus- 
ing children,  almost  as  soon  as  they  can  speak,  in  order  to  excite  their 
rage,  and  to  judge  of  their  dispositions.  This  supplies  the  infant  popu- 
lation with  a large  stock-in-trade  of  ribaldry.  They  literally  lisp  m 
bad  language. 


186  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

those  who  have  studied  the  “ enfans  terribles ” which  India 
sends  home  in  cargoes.  One  urchin,  scarcely  three  years 
old,  told  me  that  his  father  had  a sword  at  home  with 
which  he  would  cut  my  throat  from  ear  to  ear,  suiting 
the  action  to  the  word,  because  I objected  to  his  perching 
upon  my  wounded  foot.  By  a few  taunts,  I made  the 
little  wretch  almost  mad  with  rage ; he  shook  his  infant  fist 
at  me,  and  then  opening  his  enormous  round  black  eyes  to 
their  utmost  stretch,  he  looked  at  me,  and  licked  his  knee 
with  portentous  meaning.  Shaykh  Hamid,  happening  to 
come  in  at  the  moment,  stood  aghast  at  the  doorway,  hand 
on  chin,  to  see  the  Effendi  subject  to  such  indignity,  and  it 
was  not  without  trouble  that  I saved  the  offender  from 
summary  nursery  discipline.  Another  scamp  caught  up 
one  of  my  loaded  pistols  before  I could  snatch  it  out  of  his 
hand,  and  clapped  it  to  his  neighbor’s  head ; fortunately,  it 
was  on  half-cock,  and  the  trigger  was  a stiff  one.  Then  a 
serious  and  majestic  boy  about  six  years  old,  with  an  ink- 
stand  in  his  belt,  in  token  of  his  receiving  a literary  educa- 
tion, seized  my  pipe  and  began  to  smoke  it  with  huge 
puffs.  I ventured  laughingly  to  institute  a comparison 
between  his  person  and  the  pipe-stick,  when  he  threw  it 
upon  the  ground,  and  stared  at  me  fixedly  with  flaming 
eyes  and  features  distorted  by  anger.  The  cause  of  this 
“ boldness”  soon  appeared.  The  boys,  instead  of  being 
well  beaten,  were  scolded  with  fierce  faces,  a mode  of 
punishment  which  only  made  them  laugh.  They  had  their 
redeeming  points,  however ; they  were  manly  angry  boys, 
who  punched  one  another  like  Anglo-Saxons  in  the  house, 
and  abroad  they  are  always  fighting  with  sticks  and  stones. 
And  they  examined  our  weapons, — before  deigning  to  look 
at  anything  else, — as  if  eighteen  instead  of  five  had  been 
the  general  age. 

At  last  I so  far  broke  through  the  laws  of  Arab  polite* 


THE  SIIAYKH’S  REAL  POLITENESS. 


187 


ness  as  to  inform  my  host  in  plain  words,  that  I was  hungry, 
thirsty,  and  sleepy,  and  that  I wanted  to  be  alone  before 
visiting  the  Haram.  The  good-natured  Shaykh,  who  was 
preparing  to  go  out  at  once  in  order  to  pray  at  his  father’s 
grave,  immediately  brought  me  breakfast,  lighted  a pipe, 
spread  a bed,  darkened  the  room,  turned  out  the  children, 
and  left  me  to  the  society  I most  desired — my  own.  I then 
overheard  him  summon  his  mother,  wife,  and  other  female 
relatives  into  the  store-room,  where  his  treasures  had  been 
carefully  stored  away.  During  the  forenoon,  in  the  pre- 
sence of  the  visitors,  one  of  Hamid’s  uncles  had  urged  him, 
half  jocularly,  to  bring  out  the  sahharah . The  Shaykh 
did  not  care  to  do  anything  of  the  kind.  Every  time  a 
new  box  is  opened  in  this  part  of  the  world,  the  owner’s 
generosity  is  appealed  to  by  those  whom  a refusal  offends, 
and  he  must  allow  himself  to  be  plundered  with  the  best 
possible  grace.  Hamid  therefore  prudently  suffered  all  to 
depart  before  exhibiting  his  spoils ; which,  to  judge  by  the 
exclamations  of  delight  which  they  elicited  from  feminine 
lips,  proved  a satisfactory  collection  to  those  concerned. 

After  sleeping,  we  all  set  out  in  a body  to  the  Haram, 
as  this  is  a duty  which  must  not  be  delayed  by  the  pious. 
The  boy  Mohammed  was  in  better  spirits, — the  effect  of 
having  borrowed,  amongst  other  articles  of  clothing,  an 
exceedingly  gaudy  embroidered  coat  from  Shaykh  Hamid. 
As  for  Shaykh  Nur,  he  had  brushed  up  his  tarboosh,  and, 
by  means  of  some  cast-off  dresses  of  mine,  had  made  him- 
self look  like  a respectable  Abyssinian  slave,  in  a nonde- 
script toilette,  half  Turkish,  half  Indian.  I propose  to 
reserve  the  ceremony  of  ziyarat , or  visitation,  for  another 
chapter,  and  to  conclude  this  with  a short  account  of  our 
style  of  living  at  the  Shaykh’s  hospitable  house. 

Hamid’s  abode  is  a small  corner  building,  open  on  the 
north  and  east  to  the  Barr  El  Munakhah : the  ground  floor 


188  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

contains  only  a kind  of  vestibule,  in  which  coarse  articles, 
like  old  shugdufs , mats  and  bits  of  sacking  are  stowed 
away;  the  rest  is  devoted  to  purposes  of  sewerage.  As- 
cending dark  winding  steps  of  ragged  stone  covered  with 
hard  black  earth,  you  come  to  the  first  floor,  where  the 
men  live.  It  consists  of  two  rooms  to  the  front  of  the 
house,  one  a majlis  or  sitting  room,  and  another  converted 
into  a store.  Behind  them  is  a dark  passage,  into  which 
the  doors  open ; and  the  back  part  of  the  first  story  is  a 
long  windowless  room,  containing  a hanafiyah ,*  and  other 
conveniences  for  purification.  The  kitchen  is  on  the  second 
floor,  which  I did  not  inspect,  it  being  as  usual  occupied  by 
the  Harem.  The  majlis  has  dwarf  windows,  or  rather 
apertures  in  the  northern  and  eastern  walls,  with  rude 
wooden  shutters  and  reed  blinds — the  embrasures  being 
garnished  with  cushions,  where  you  sit,  morning  and 
evening,  to  enjoy  the  cool  air;  the  ceiling  is  of  date 
sticks  laid  across  palm  rafters  stained  red,  and  the  walls 
are  of  rough  scoriae,  burnt  bricks,  and  wood-work  cemented 
with  lime.  The  only  signs  of  furniture  in  the  sitting-room 
are  a diwan  f round  the  sides  and  a carpet  in  the  centre. 
A huge  wooden  box,  like  a seaman’s  chest,  occupies  one  of 
the  corners.  In  the  southern  wall  there  is  a suffeh , or  little 
shelf  of  common  stone,  supported  by  a single  arch ; upon 

* The  Hanafiyah  is  a large  vessel  of  copper,  sometimes  tinned,  with 
a cock  in  the  lower  part,  and,  generally,  an  ewer,  or  a basin,  to  receive 
the  water. 

f The  diwan  is  a line  of  flat  cushions  ranged  round  the  room, 
either  placed  upon  the  ground,  or  on  wooden  benches,  or  on  a step  of 
masonry,  varying  in  height  according  to  the  fashion  of  the  day.  Cot- 
ton-stuffed pillows,  covered  with  chintz  for  summer,  and  silk  for  win- 
ter, are  placed  against  the  wall,  and  can  be  moved  to  make  a luxurious 
heap ; their  covers  are  generally  all  of  the  same  color,  except  those  at 
the  end. 


MIDDLE  CLASS  HOUSE  AT  EL  MEDINAH. 


189 


this  are  placed  articles  in  hourly  use,  perfume-bottles, 
coffee-cups,  a stray  book  or  two,  and  sometimes  a turban, 
to  be  out  of  the  children’s  way.  Two  hooks  on  the  western 
wall,  placed  jealously  high  up,  support  a pair  of  pistols  with 
handsome  crimson  cords  and  tassels,  and  half  a dozen 
cherry-stick  pipes. 

The  passage,  like  the  stairs,  is  spread  over  with  hard 
black  earth,  and  regularly  watered  twice  a day  during  hot 
weather.  The  household  consisted  of  Hamid’s  mother, 
wife,  some  nephews  and  nieces,  small  children  who  ran 
about  in  a half  wild  and  more  than  half  nude  state,  and 
two  African  slave  girls.  When  the  Damascus  caravan  came 
in,  it  was  further  reinforced  by  the  arrival  of  his  three 
younger  brothers. 

The  majlis  was  tolerably  cool  during  the  early  part  of 
the  day ; in  the  afternoon  the  sun  shone  fiercely  upon  it.  I 
have  described  the  establishment  at  some  length  as  a speci- 
men of  how  the  middle  classes  of  society  are  lodged  at  El 
Medinah.  The  upper  classes  affect  Turkish  and  Egyptian 
luxuries  in  their  homes,  as  I had  an  opportunity  of  seeing  at 
Omar  Effendi’s  house  in  the  “ Barr;”  and  the  abodes  of  the 
poorer  classes  are  everywhere  in  these  countries  very  similar. 

Our  life  in  Shaykh  Hamid’s  house  was  quiet,  but  not 
disagreeable.  I never  once  set  eyes  upon  the  face  of 
woman  there,  unless  the  African  slave  girls  be  allowed  the 
title.  Even  these  at  first  attempted  to  draw  their  ragged 
veils  over  their  sable  charms,  and  would  not  answer  the 
simplest  question ; by  degrees  they  allowed  me  to  see  them, 
and  they  ventured  their  strange  voices  to  reply  to  me  ; still 
they  never  threw  off  a certain  appearance  of  shame.*  I 

* Their  voice?  are  strangely  soft  and  delicate,  considering  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  organs  from  which  they  proceed.  Possibly  this  may  be 
a characteristic  of  the  African  races;  it  is  remarkable  amongst  the 
Somali  women. 


190  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINA!!  AND  MECCA1I. 

never  saw,  nor  even  heard,  the  youthful  mistress  of  the 
household,  who  stayed  all  day  in  the  upper  rooms.  The 
old  lady,  Hamid’s  mother,  would  stand  upon  the  stairs,  and 
converse  aloud  with  her  son,  and  when  few  people  were 
about  the  house  with  me.  She  never,  however,  as  after- 
wards happened  to  an  ancient  dame  at  Meccah,  came  and 
sat  by  my  side.  When  lying  during  mid-day  in  the  gallery, 
I often  saw  parties  of  women  mount  the  stairs  to  the  Gy - 
nceconitis , and  sometimes  an  individual  would  stand  to 
shake  a muffled  hand  * with  Hamid,  to  gossip  a while,  and 
to  put  some  questions  concerning  absent  friends ; but  they 
were  most  decorously  wrapped  up,  nor  did  they  ever  deign 
to  deroger , even  by  exposing  an  inch  of  cheek. 

At  dawn  we  arose,  washed,  prayed,  and  broke  our  fast 
upon  a crust  of  stale  bread,  before  smoking  a pipe,  and 
drinking  a cup  of  coffee.  Then  it  was  time  to  dress,  to 
mount,  and  to  visit  the  Haram  in  one  of  the  holy  places 
outside  the  city.  Returning  before  the  sun  became  intole- 
rable, we  sat  together,  and  with  conversation,  shishas,  and 
chibouques,  coffee  and  cold  water  perfumed  with  mastich- 
smoke,  we  whiled  away  the  time  till  an  early  dinner  which 
appeared  at  the  primitive  hour  of  1 1 a.  m.  The  meal,  here 
called  El  Ghada,  was  served  in  the  majlis  on  a large  copper 
tray,  sent  from  the  upper  apartments.  Ejaculating  “ Bis- 
millah” — the  Moslem  grace — we  all  sat  round  it,  and  dipped 
equal  hands  into  the  dishes  set  before  us.  W e had  usually  un- 
leavened bread,  different  kinds  of  meat  and  vegetable  stews, 
and  at  the  end  of  the  first  course  plain  boiled  rice,  eaten 
with  spoons ; then  came  the  fruits,  fresh  dates,  grapes,  and 

* After  touching  the  skin  of  a strange  woman,  it  is  not  lawful  in  El 
Islam  to  pray  without  ablution.  For  this  reason,  when  a fair  dame 
shakes  hands  with  you,  she  wraps  up  her  fingers  in  a kerchief,  or  in  the 
end  of  her  veil. 


THE  PILGRIM’S  LOVE  OF  RETIREMENT. 


191 


pomegranates.  After  dinner  I used  invariably  to  find  soma 
excuse — such  as  the  habit  of  a “ Kayllllah”  (mid-day  siesta)* 
or  the  being  a “ Saudawi”f  or  person  of  melancholy  tem- 
perament, to  have  a rug  spread  in  the  dark  passage  behind 
the  majlis , and  there  to  lie  reading,  dozing,  smoking  or 
writing,  en  cachette , in  complete  deshabille  all  through  the 
worst  part  of  the  day,  from  noon  to  sunset.  Then  came 
the  hour  for  receiving  or  paying  visits.  The  evening 
prayers  ensued,  either  at  home  or  in  the  Haram,  followed 
by  our  supper,  another  substantial  meal  like  the  dinner,  but 
more  plentiful,  of  bread,  meat,  vegetables,  plain  rice  and 
fruits,  concluding  with  the  invariable  pipes  and  coffee.  To 
pass  our  soiree , we  occasionally  dressed  in  common  clothes, 
shouldered  a nebfit, J and  went  to  the  cafe ; sometimes  on 

* Kaylulah  is  the  half  hour’s  siesta  about  noon.  It  is  a Sunnat,  and 
the  Prophet  said  of  it,  “ Kilu,  fa  inna  ’sh’Shayatma  la  Takil,” — “ Take 
the  mid-day  siesta,  for,  verily,  the  devils  sleep  not  at  this  hour.”  “ Ay- 
lulah”  is  the  sleeping  after  morning  prayers,  which  causes  heaviness  and 
inability  to  work.  Ghayulah  is  the  sleeping  about  9 a.  m.,  the  effect 
of  which  is  poverty  and  wretchedness.  Kaylulah  (with  the  guttural  kaf) 
is  sleeping  before  evening  prayers,  a practice  reprobated  in  every  part 
of  the  East.  And,  finally,  Faylulah  is  sleeping  immediately  after  sun- 
set,— also  considered  highly  detrimental. 

\ The  Arabs,  who  suffer  greatly  from  melancholia,  are  kind  to  peo- 
ple afflicted  with  this  complaint ; it  is  supposed  to  cause  a distaste  for 
society,  and  a longing  for  solitude,  an  unsettled  habit  of  mind,  and  a 
neglect  of  worldly  affairs.  Probably  it  is  the  effect  of  overworking  the 
brain,  in  a hot  dry  atmosphere.  I have  remarked,  that  in  Arabia  stu- 
dents are  subject  to  it,  and  that  amongst  their  philosophers  and  literary 
men,  there  is  scarcely  an  individual  who  was  not  spoken  of  as  a “ Saudawi.” 

% This  habit  of  going  out  at  night  in  common  clothes,  with  a nebut 
upon  one’s  shoulder,  is,  as  far  as  I could  discover,  popular  at  El  Medinah, 
but  confined  to  the  lowest  classes  at  Meccah.  The  boy  Mohammed 
always  spoke  of  it  with  undisguised  disapprobation.  During  my  stay 
at  Meccah,  I saw  no  such  costume  amongst  respectable  people  there 
though  sometimes,  perhaps,  there  was  a suspicion  of  a disguise. 


192  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

festive  occasions  we  indulged  in  a Taatumah  (or  Itmiyah), 
a late  supper  of  sweetmeats,  pomegranates  and  dried  fruits. 
Usually  we  sat  upon  mattresses  spread  upon  the  ground  in 
the  open  air  at  the  Shaykh’s  door,  receiving  evening  visits, 
chatting,  telling  stories,  and  making  merry,  till  each,  as  he 
felt  the  approach  of  the  drowsy  god,  sank  down  into  his 
proper  place,  and  fell  asleep. 

Whatever  may  be  the  heat  of  the  day,  the  night  at  El 
Medinah,  owing,  I suppose,  to  its  elevated  position,  is  cool 
and  pleasant.  In  order  to  allay  the  dust,  the  ground  before 
the  Shaykh’s  door  was  watered  every  evening,  and  the 
evaporation  was  almost  too  great  to  be  safe, — the  boy 
Mohammed  suffered  from  a smart  attack  of  lumbago, 
which,  however,  yielded  readily  to  frictions  of  olive  oil  in 
which  ginger  had  been  boiled.  Our  greatest  inconvenience 
at  night  time  was  the  pugnacity  of  the  animal  creation. 
The  horses  of  the  troopers  tethered  in  the  Barr  were  sure 
to  break  loose  once  in  twelve  hours.  Some  hobbled  old 
nag,  having  slipped  his  head-stall,  would  advance  with 
kangaroo-leaps  towards  a neighbor  against  whom  he  had  a 
private  grudge.  Their  heads  would  touch  for  a moment ; 
then  came  a snort  and  a whining,  a furious  kick,  and  lastly, 
a second  horse  loose  and  dashing  about  with  head  and  tail 
viciously  cocked.  This  was  the  signal  for  a general  break- 
ing of  halters  and  heel-ropes ; after  which  a “ stampedo” 
scoured  the  plain,  galloping,  rearing,  kicking,  biting,  snort- 
ing, pawing,  and  screaming,  with  the  dogs  barking  sympa- 
thetically, and  the  horse-keepers  shouting  in  hot  pursuit. 
It  was  a strange  sight  to  see  by  moon-light,  the  forms  of 
these  “ demon  steeds”  exaggerated  by  the  shadows  ; and  on 
more  than  one  occasion  we  had  all  to  start  up  precipitately 
from  our  beds,  and  yield  them  to  a couple  of  combatants 
who  were  determined  to  fight  out  their  quarrel  a Voutrance , 
wherever  the  battle-field  might  be. 


A PERSIAN  LADY’S  CONTEMPT  FOR  BOYS. 


193 


The  dogs  at  El  Medinah  are  not  less  pugnacious  than 
the  horses.*  They  are  stronger  and  braver  than  those  that 
haunt  the  streets  at  Cairo ; like  the  Egyptians,  they  have 
amongst  themselves  a system  of  police  regulations,  which 
brings  down  all  the  posse  comitatus  upon  the  unhappy 
straggler  who  ventures  into  a strange  quarter  of  the  town. 

There  are  certain  superstitions  about  the  dog  resem- 
bling ours,  only,  as  usual,  more  poetical  and  less  grotesque, 
current  in  El  Hejaz.  Most  people  believe  that  when  the 
animal  howls  without  apparent  cause  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  a house,  it  forebodes  death  to  one  of  the  inmates. 
For  the  dog  they  say  can  distinguish  the  awful  form  of 
Azrael,  the  angel  of  death,  hovering  over  the  doomed 
abode,  whereas  man’s  spiritual  sight  is  dull  and  dim  by 
reason  of  his  sins. 

When  the  Damascus  caravan  entered  El  Medinah,  our 
day  became  a little  more  amusing.  From  the  windows  of 
Shaykh  Hamid’s  house  there  was  a perpetual  succession  of 
strange  scenes.  A Persian  nobleman,  also,  had  pitched  his 
tents  so  opportunely  near  the  door,  that  the  whole  course 
of  his  private  life  became  public  and  patent  to  the  boy 
Mohammed,  who  amused  his  companions  by  reporting  all 
manner  of  ludicrous  scenes.  The  Persian’s  wife  was  rather 
a pretty  woman,  and  she  excited  the  youth’s  fierce  indigna- 
tion, by  not  veiling  her  face  when  he  gazed  at  her, — there- 
by showing  that,  as  his  beard  was  not  grown,  she  con- 
sidered him  a mere  boy.  “ I will  ask  her  to  marry  me,” 
said  Mohammed,  “ and  thereby  rouse  her  shame ! ” He  did 
so,  but,  unhappy  youth  ! the  Persian  never  even  ceased  fan- 
ning herself.  The  boy  Mohammed  was  for  once  confounded. 

* Burckhardt  remarks  that  El  Medinah  is  the  only  town  in  the  East 
from  which  dogs  are  excluded.  This  was  probably  as  much  a relic  of 
Wahhabeism  (that  sect  hating  even  to  look  at  a dog),  as  arising  from 
apprehension  of  the  mosque  being  polluted  by  canine  intrusion. 

9 


CHAPTER  XV. 


A VISIT  TO  THE  PROPHET’S  TOMB. 

Having  performed  the  greater  ablution,  and  used  the  tooth- 
stick  as  directed,  and  dressed  ourselves  in  white  clothes, 
which  the  prophet  loved,  we  were  ready  to  start  upon  our 
holy  errand.  As  my  foot  still  gave  me  great  pain,  Shaykh 
Hamid  sent  for  a donkey.  A wretched  animal  appeared, 
raw-backed,  lame  of  one  leg,  and  wanting  an  ear,  with 
accoutrements  to  match,  and  pack-saddle  without  stirrups, 
and  a halter  instead  of  a bridle.  Such  as  the  brute  was, 
however,  I had  to  mount  it,  and  to  ride  through  the  Misri 
gate,  to  the  wonder  of  certain  Bedouins,  who,  like  the 
Indians,  despise  the  ass. 

“ Honorable  is  the  riding  of  a horse  to  the  rider, 

But  the  mule  is  a dishonor,  and  the  ass  a disgrace,” 

says  their  song.  The  Turkish  pilgrims,  however,  who 
appear  to  take  a pride  in  ignoring  all  Arab  points  of  pre- 
judice, generally  mount  donkeys  when  they  cannot  walk. 
The  Bedouins  therefore  settled  among  themselves,  audibly 
enough,  that  I was  an  Osmanli,  who  of  course  could  not 


HOW  TO  VISIT  THE  PKOPHET’S  MOSQUE.  195 

understand  Arabic,  and  put  the  question  generally,  “ by 
what  curse  of  Allah  they  had  been  subjected  to  ass- 
riders  ? ” 

But  Shaykh  Hamid  is  lecturing  me  upon  the  subject  of 
the  mosque. 

The  Masjid  El  Nabawi,  or  the  Prophet’s  Mosque,  is  one 
of  the  Haramain,  or  the  “ two  sanctuaries”  of  El  Islam,  and 
is  the  second  of  the  three*  most  venerable  places  of  wor- 
ship in  the  world ; the  other  two  being  the  Masjid  El 
Haram  of  Meccah  (connected  with  Abraham)  and  the 
Masjid  El  Aksa  of  Jerusalem  (the  peculiar  place  of  Solo- 
mon). A Hadis  or  traditional  saying  of  Mohammed 
asserts,  “ One  prayer  in  this  my  mosque  is  more  efficacious 
than  a Thousand  in  other  places,  save  only  the  Masjid  El 
Haram.”f  It  is  therefore  the  visitor’s  duty,  as  long  as  he 
stays  at  El  Medinah,  to  pray  the  five  times  per  diem  there, 
to  pass  the  day  in  it  reading  the  Koran,  and  the  night,  if 
possible,  in  watching  and  devotion. 

A visit  to  the  Masjid  El  Nabawi,  and  the  holy  spots 
within  it,  is  technically  called  “ Ziyarat”  or  Visitation.  An 
essential  difference  is  made  between  this  rite  and  Hajj 
pilgrimage.  The  latter  is  obligatory  by  Koranic  order 
upon  every  Moslem  once  in  his  life : the  former  is  only  a 
meritorious  action.  “ Tawaf,’’  or  circumambulation  of  the 
House  of  Allah  at  Meccah,  must  never  be  performed  at 
the  Prophet’s  tomb.  This  should  not  be  visited  in  the  ihram 
or  pilgrim  dress ; men  should  not  kiss  it,  touch  it  with  the 
hand,  or  press  the  bosom  against  it,  as  at  the  Kaabah ; or 
rub  the  face  with  dust  collected  near  the  sepulchre ; and 

* Others  add  a fourth,  namely,  the  Masjid  El  Takwa,  at  Kuba. 

f The  Moslem  divines,  however,  naively  remind  their  readers,  that 
they  are  not  to  pray  once  in  the  El  Medinah  mosque,  and  neglect  the 
other  999,  as  if  absolved  from  the  necessity  of  them. 


196  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

those  who  prostrate  themselves  before  it,  like  certain 
ignorant  Indians,  are  held  to  be  guilty  of  deadly  sin.  On 
the  other  hand,  to  spit  upon  any  part  of  the  mosque,  or  to 
treat  it  with  contempt,  is  held  to  be  the  act  of  an  infidel. 

Thus  learning  and  the  religious  have  settled,  one  would 
have  thought,  accurately  enough  the  spiritual  rank  and  dig- 
nity of  the  Masjid  El  ISTabawi.  But  mankind,  especially  in 
the  East,  must  always  be  in  extremes.  The  orthodox  school 
of  El  Malik  holds  El  Medinah,  on  account  of  the  sanctity  of, 
and  the  religious  benefits  to  be  derived  from  Mohammed’s 
tomb,  more  honorable  than  Meccah.  The  Wahhabis,  on  the 
other  hand,  rejecting  the  intercession  of  the  Prophet  on  the 
day  of  judgment ; considering  the  grave  of  a mere  mortal 
unworthy  of  notice  ; and  highly  disgusted  by  the  idolatrous 
respect  paid  to  it  by  certain  foolish  Moslems,  plundered  the 
sacred  building  with  sacrilegious  violence,  and  forbade  visi- 
tors from  distant  countries  to  enter  El  Medinah.*  The 
general  consensus  of  El  Islam  admits  the  superiority  of  the 
Bait  Allah  (“  House  of  God  ”)  at  Meccah  to  the  whole 
world,  and  declares  El  Medinah  to  be  more  venerable  than 
every  part  of  Meccah,  and  consequently  all  the  earth,  except 
only  the  Bait  Allah. 

Passing  through  the  muddy  streets, — they  had  been 
freshly  watered  before  evening  time, — I came  suddenly  upon 
the  mosque.  Like  that  at  Meccah  the  approach  is  choked 
up  by  ignoble  buildings,  some  actually  touching  the  holy 
“enceinte,”  others  separated  by  narrow  lanes.  There  is  no 
outer  front,  no  general  aspect  of  the  Prophet’s  mosque  ; con- 
sequently, as  a building,  it  has  neither  beauty  nor  dignity. 
And  entering  the  Bab  el  Rahmah — the  Gate  of  Pity, — by  a 

* In  a.d.  1807,  they  prevented  Ali  Bey  (the  Spaniard  Badia)  from 
entering  El  Medinah,  and  it  appears  that  he  had  reason  to  congratulate 
himself  upon  escaping  without  severe  punishment. 


THE  PROPHET’S  MOSQUE  DESCRIBED. 


197 


diminutive  flight  of  steps,  I was  astonished  at  the  mean  and 
tawdry  appearance  of  a place  so  universally  venerated  in 
the  Moslem  world.  It  is  not,  like  the  Meccan  mosque, 
grand  and  simple — the  expression  of  a single  sublime  idea : 
the  longer  I looked  at  it,  the  more  it  suggested  the  resem- 
blance of  a museum  of  second-rate  art,  a curiosity-shop,  full 
of  ornaments  that  are  not  accessories,  and  decorated  with 
pauper  splendor. 

The  Masjid  el  Nabi  is  a parallelogram  about  420  feet  in 
length  by  340  broad,  the  direction  of  the  long  walls  being 
nearly  north  and  south.  As  usual  in  El  Islam,  it  is  a hypsethral 
building  with  a spacious  central  area,  called  El  Sahn,  El 
Hosh,  El  Haswah,  or  El  Ramlah,  surrounded  by  a peristyle 
with  numerous  rows  of  pillars  like  the  colonnades  of  an 
Italian  monastery.  Their  arcades  or  porticoes  are  flat- 
ceilinged,  domed  above  with  the  small  half-orange  cupola  of 
Spain,  and  divided  into  four  parts  by  narrow  passages,  three 
or  four  steps  below  the  level  of  the  pavement.  Along  the 
whole  inner  length  of  the  northern  short  wall  runs  the  Mejidi 
Riwak,  so  called  from  the  reigning  sultan.  The  western 
long  wall  is  occupied  by  the  Kiwak  of  the  Rahmah  Gate  ; 
the  eastern  by  that  of  the  Bab  el  Nisa,  the  “ women’s  en- 
trance.”* Embracing  the  inner  length  of  the  southern  short 
wall,  and  deeper  by  nearly  treble  the  amount  of  columns, 
than  the  other  porticoes,  is  the  main  colonnade,  called  El 
Rauzah,  the  adytum  containing  all  that  is  venerable  in  the 
building.  These  four  riwaks,  arched  externally,  are  sup- 
ported internally  by  pillars  of  different  shape  and  material, 
varying  from  fine  porphyry  to  dirty  plaster;  the  southern 
one,  where  the  sepulchre  or  cenotaph  stands,  is  paved  with 
handsome  slabs  of  white  marble  and  marquetry  work,  here 

* This  gate  derives  its  peculiar  name  from  its  vicinity  to  the  Lady 
Fatimah’s  tomb ; women,  when  they  do  visit  the  mosque,  enter  it  through 
all  the  doors  indifferently. 


198  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINA II  AND  MECCAII. 

and  there  covered  with  coarse  matting,  and  above  this  by 
unclean  carpets,  well  worn  by  faithful  feet.* * * § 

But  this  is  not  the  time  for  Tafarruj,  or  lionising;  Shaykh 
Hamid  warns  me  with  a nudge,  that  other  things  are 
expected  of  a Zair.  He  leads  me  to  the  Bab  el  Salam, 
fighting  his  way  through  a troop  of  beggars,  and  inquires 
markedly  if  I am  religiously  pure.  Then,  placing  our  hands 
a little  below  and  on  the  left  of  the  waist,  the  palm  of  the 
right  covering  the  back  of  the  left,  in  the  position  of  prayer, 
and  beginning  with  the  right  feet,  J we  pace  slowly  forwards 
down  the  line  called  the  Muwajihat  el  Sharifah,  or  “ the 
Holy  Fronting,”  which,  divided  ofi‘  like  an  aisle,  runs  parallel 
with  the  southern  wall  of  the  mosque.  On  my  right  hand 
walked  the  Shaykh,  who  recited  aloud  the  following  prayer, 
which  I repeated  after  him.§  It  is  literally  rendered,  as,  in- 
deed, are  all  the  formulae,  and  the  reader  is  requested  to 
excuse  the  barbarous  fidelity  of  the  translation.  “ In  the 
name  of  Allah  and  in  the  Faith  of  Allah’s  Prophet ! O 
Lord  cause  me  to  enter  the  entering  of  Truth,  and  cause  me 
to  issue  forth  the  issuing  of  Truth,  and  permit  me  to  draw 
near  to  thee,  and  make  me  a Sultan  Victorious ! ” |j  Then 

* These  carpets  are  swept  by  the  eunuchs,  who  let  out  the  office  for  a 
certain  fee  to  pilgrims,  every  morning,  immediately  after  sunrise.  Their 
diligence,  however,  does  by  no  means  prevent  the  presence  of  certain 
little  parasites,  concerning  which  politeness  is  dumb. 

I Because  if  not  pure,  ablution  is  performed  at  the  well  in  the  centre 
of  the  hypsethra.  Zairs  are  ordered  to  visit  the  mosque  perfumed  and 
in  their  best  clothes,  and  the  Hanafi  school  deems  it  lawful  on  this 
occasion  only  to  wear  dresses  of  pure  silk. 

\ In  this  mosque,  as  in  all  others,  it  is  proper  to  enter  with  the  right 
foot,  and  retire  with  the  left. 

§ I must  warn  the  reader  that  almost  every  Muzzawwir  has  his  own 
litany,  which  descends  from  father  to  son : moreover  all  the  books  differ 
at  least  as  much  as  do  the  oral  authorities. 

5 That  is  to  say,  “ over  the  world,  the  flesh,  and  the  devil.” 


VISIT  TO  THE  RAUZAII. 


199 


followed  blessings  upon  the  Prophet,  and  afterwards ; “ O 
Allah ! open  to  me  the  doors  of  thy  mercy,  and  grant  me 
entrance  into  it,  and  protect  me  from  the  Stoned  Devil!” 
During  this  preliminary  prayer  we  had  passed  down  two 
thirds  of  the  Muwajihat  el  Sharifah.  On  the  left  hand  is  a 
dwarf  wall,  about  the  height  of  a man,  painted  with  arabes- 
ques, and  pierced  with  four  small  doors  which  open  into  the 
Muwajihat.  In  this  barrier  are  sundry  small  erections,  the 
niche  called  the  Mihrab  Sulaymani,*  the  Mambar,  or  pulpit, 
and  the  Mihrab  el  Nabawi.f  The  two  niches  are  of  beauti-  * 
ful  mosaic,  richly  worked  with  various  colored  marbles,  and 
the  pulpit  is  a graceful  collection  of  slender  columns,  elegant 
tracery,  and  inscriptions  admirably  carved.  Arrived  at  the 
western  small  door  in  the  dwarf  wall,  we  entered  the  cele- 
brated spot  called  El  Rauzah,  or  the  Garden,  after  a saying 
of  the  Prophet’s,  “ between  my  Tomb  and  my  Pulpit  is  a 
Garden  of  the  Gardens  of  Paradised’J  On  the  north  and 

* This  by  strangers  is  called  the  Masalla  Shafei,  or  the  Place  of 
Prayer  of  the  Shafei  school.  It  was  sent  from  Constantinople  about  100 
years  ago,  by  Sultan  Suiayman  the  Magnificent.  He  built  the  Sulay- 
maniyah  minaret,  and  has  immortalised  his  name  at  El  Medinah,  as  well 
as  at  Meccah,  by  the  number  of  his  donations  to  the  shrine. 

f Here  is  supposed  to  have  been  one  of  the  Prophet’s  favorite  sta- 
tions of  prayer.  It  is  commonly  called  the  Musalla  Hanafi,  because  now 
appropriated  by  that  school. 

% This  tradition,  like  most  others  referring  to  events  posterior  to  the 
Prophet’s  death,  is  differently  given,  and  so  important  are  the  variations, 
that  I only  admire  how  all  El  Islam  does  not  follow  Wahhabi  example 
and  summarily  consign  them  to  oblivion.  Some  read  “between  my 
dwelling-house  (in  the  mosque)  and  my  place  of  prayer  (in  the  Barr  el 
Munakhah)  is  a Garden  of  the  Gardens  of  Paradise.  Others  again, 

“ between  my  house  and  my  pulpit  is  a Garden  of  the  Gardens  of  Para 
dise.”  A third  tradition — “Between  my  tomb  and  my  pulpit  is  a 
Garden  of  the  Gardens  of  Paradise,  and  verily  my  pulpit  is  in  my  Full 
Cistern.”  Tara,  or  “ upon  a Full  Cistern  of  the  Cisterns  of  Paradise,1 ” 
has  given  rise  to  a new  superstition.  “Tara,”  according  to  some  com- 


200  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  ME  DINAH  AND  MECCAH. 


west  sides  it  is  not  divided  from  the  rest  of  the  portico  ; on 
the  south  lies  the  dwarf  wall,  and  on  the  east  it  is  limited  by 
the  west  end  of  the  lattice-work  containing  the  tomb.  Ac- 
companied by  my  Muzawwir  I entered  the  Rauzah,  and  was 
placed  by  him  with  the  Mukabbariyah  * behind  me,  fronting 
Meccah,  with  my  right  shoulder  opposite  to  and  about 
twenty  feet  distant  from  the  dexter  pillar  of  the  Prophet’s 
Pulpit. f There,  after  saying  the  afternoon  prayers, J I per- 
formed the  usual  two  prostrations  in  honor  of  the  temple, § 

mentators,  alludes  especially  to  the  cistern  El  Kausar;  consequently 
this  Rauzah  is,  like  the  black  stone  at  Meccah,  bond  fide,  a bit  of  Para- 
dise, and  on  the  day  of  resurrection,  it  shall  return  bodily  to  the  place 
whence  it  came.  Be  this  as  it  may,  all  Moslems  are  warned  that  the 
Rauzah  is  a most  holy  spot.  None  but  the  Prophet  and  his  son-in-law 
Ali  ever  entered  it,  when  ceremonially  impure,  without  being  guilty  of 
deadly  sin.  The  Mohammedan  of  the  present  day  is  especially  informed 
that  on  no  account  must  he  here  tell  lies  in  it,  or  even  perjure  himself* 
Thus  the  Rauzah  must  be  respected  as  much  as  the  interior  of  the  Bait 
Allah  at  Meccah. 

* This  is  a stone  desk  on  four  pillars,  where  the  Muballighs  (or 
clerks)  recite  the  IJcamah,  the  call  to  divine  service. 

f I shall  have  something  to  say  about  this  pulpit  when  entering  into 
the  history  of  the  Haram. 

| The  afternoon  prayers  being  Farz , or  obligatory,  were  recited,  be- 
cause we  feared  that  evening  might  come  on  before  the  ceremony  of 
Ziyarat  (visitation)  concluded,  and  thus  the  time  for  El  Asr  (afternoon 
prayers)  might  pass  away.  The  reader  may  think  this  rather  a curious 
forethought  in  a man  who,  like  Hamid,  never  prayed  except  when  he 
found  the  case  urgent.  Such,  however,  is  the  strict  order,  and  my 
Musawwir  was  right  to  see  it  executed. 

§ This  two-prostration  prayer,  which  generally  is  recited  in  honor 
of  the  mosque,  is  here,  say  divines,  addressed  especially  to  the  Deity  by 
the  visitor  who  intends  to  beg  the  intercession  of  his  Prophet.  It  is 
only  just  to  confess  that  the  Moslems  have  done  their  best  by  all  means 
in  human  power,  here  as  well  as  elsewhere,  to  inculcate  the  doctrine  of 
eternal  distinction  between  the  creature  and  the  creator.  Many  of  the 
Maliki  school,  however,  make  the  ceremony  of  Ziyarat  to  precede  the 
prayer  to  the  Deity. 


BEGGARS  BESIEGE  TIIE  PILGRIM. 


201 


and  at  the  end  of  them  recited  the  109th  and  the  112th 
chapters  of  the  Koran — the  “ Kul  ya  ayyuha’l  Kafiruna,” 
and  the  “ Surat  El  Ikhlas,”  called  also  the  “ Kul  Huw 
Allah,”  or  the  declaration  of  unity ; and  may  be  thus  trans- 
lated : 

1.  “ Say,  he  is  the  one  God  !” 

2.  “ The  eternal  God !” 

3.  “ He  begets  not,  nor  is  he  begot.” 

4.  “ And  unto  him  the  like  is  not.” 

After  which  was  performed  a single  Sujdah  of  thanks,* 
in  gratitude  to  Allah  for  making  it  my  fate  to  visit  so  holy 
a spot.  This  being  the  recognised  time  to  give  alms,  I was 
besieged  by  beggars,  who  spread  their  napkins  before  us  on 
the  ground  sprinkled  with  a few  coppers  to  excite  gene- 
rosity. But  not  wishing  to  be  distracted  by  them,  before 
leaving  Hamid’s  house  I had  asked  change  of  two  dollars, 
and  had  given  it  to  the  boy  Mohammed,  who  accompanied 
me,  strictly  charging  him  to  make  that  sum  last  all  through 
the  mosque.  My  answer  to  the  beggars  was  a reference  to 
my  attendant,  backed  by  the  simple  action  of  turning  my 
pockets  inside  out,  and  whilst  he  was  battling  with  the 
beggars,  I proceeded  to  cast  my  first  coup-cPceil  upon  the 
Rauzah. 

The  “ Garden”  is  the  most  elaborate  part  of  the  mosque. 
Little  can  be  said  in  its  praise  by  day,  when  it  bears  the 
same  relation  to  a second-rate  church  in  Rome  as  an  English 
chapel-of-ease  to  Westminster  Abbey.  It  is  a space  of  about 
eighty  feet  in  length,  tawdrily  decorated  so  as  to  resemble 
a garden.  The  carpets  are  flowered,  and  the  pediments  of 
the  columns  are  cased  with  bright  green  tiles,  and  adorned 

* The  Sujdah  is  a single  “ prostration”  with  the  forehead  touching 
the  ground.  It  is  performed  from  a sitting  position,  after  the  Dua  or 
supplication  that  concludes  the  two-prostration  prayer. 

9* 


202  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINA!!  AND  MECCAII. 

to  the  height  of  a man  with  gaudy  and  unnatural  vegetation 
in  arabesque.  It  is  disfigured  by  handsome  branched  cande- 
labras  of  cut  crystal,  the  work,  I believe,  of  a London  house, 
and  presented  to  the  shrine  by  the  late  Abbas  Pacha  of 
Egypt.* * * §  The  only  admirable  feature  of  the  view  is  the  light 
cast  by  the  windows  of  stained  glassf  in  the  southern  wall. 
Its  peculiar  background,  the  railing  of  the  tomb,  a splendid 
filagree-work  of  green  and  polished  brass,  gilt  or  made  to 
resemble  gold,  looks  more  picturesque  near  than  at  a dis- 
tance, when  it  suggests  the  idea  of  a gigantic  bird-cage. 
But  at  night  the  eye,  dazzled  by  oil  lamps  suspended  from 
the  roof,J  by  huge  wax  candles,  and  by  smaller  illuminations 
falling  upon  crowds  of  visitors  in  handsome  attire,  with  the 
rich  and  the  noblest  of  the  city  sitting  in  congregation  when 
service  is  performed,  becomes  less  critical.  Still  the  scene 
must  be  viewed  with  a Moslem’s  spirit,  and  until  a man  is 
thoroughly  embued  with  the  East,  the  last  place  the  Rauzah 
will  remind  him  of,  is  that  which  the  architect  primarily 
intended  it  to  resemble — a garden. 

Then  with  Hamid,  professionally  solemn,  I reassumed 
the  position  of  prayer,  as  regards  the  hands ; and  retraced 
my  steps.  After  passing  through  another  small  door  in  the 
dwarf  wall  that  bounds  the  Muwajihah , we  did  not  turn  to 
the  right,  which  would  have  led  us  to  the  Bab  El  Salam ; 
our  course  was  in  an  opposite  direction,  towards  the  eastern 
wall  of  the  temple.  Meanwhile  we  repeated  “Verily  Allah 
and  his  Angels  bless§  the  Prophet ! O ye  wdio  believe,  bless 

* The  candles  are  still  sent  from  Cairo. 

\ These  windows  are  a present  from  Kaid-bey,  the  Mamluk  Sultan 
of  Egypt. 

\ These  oil  lamps  are  a present  from  the  Sultan. 

§ The  act  of  blessing  the  Prophet  is  one  of  peculiar  efficacy  in  a reli- 
gious point  of  view.  Cases  are  quoted  of  sinners  being  actually  snatched 
from  hell  by  a glorious  figure,  the  personification  of  the  blessings  which 


TIIE  HIJJRAH  DESCRIBED. 


203 


him,  and  salute  him  with  honor!”  At  the  end  of  this 
prayer,  we  arrived  at  the  Mausoleum,  which  requires  some 
description  before  the  reader  can  understand  the  nature  of 
our  proceedings  there. 

The  Hujrah , or  “ Chamber”  as  it  is  called,  from  the  cir- 
cumstance of  its  having  been  Ayisha’s  room,  is  an  irregular 
square  of  from  50  to  55  feet  in  the  S.  E.  corner  of  the  build- 
ing, and  separated  on  all  sides  from  the  walls  of  the  mosque 
by  a passage  about  26  feet  broad  on  the  S.  side,  and  20  on 
the  eastern.  The  reason  of  this  isolation  has  been  before 
explained,  and  there  is  a saying  of  Mohammed’s,  “ O Allah 
cause  not  my  tomb  to  become  an  object  of  idolatrous  ado- 
ration ! May  Allah’s  wrath  fall  heavy  upon  the  people  who 
make  the  tombs  of  their  prophets  places  of  prayer  !”*  Inside 
there  are,  or  are  supposed  to  be,  three  tombs  facing  the 

had  been  called  down  by  them  upon  Mohammed’s  head.  This  most 
poetical  idea  is  borrowed,  I believe  from  the  ancient  Guebres,  who 
fabled  that  a man’s  good  works  assumed  a beautiful  female  shape,  which 
stood  to  meet  his  soul  when  winding  its  way  to  judgment.  Also  when 
a Moslem  blesses  Mohammed  at  El  Medinah,  his  sins  are  not  written 
down  for  three  days, — thus  allowing  ample  margin  for  repentance, — by 
the  recording  angel.  El  Malakain  (the  two  Angels),  or  Kiram  el  Kati- 
bin  (the  Generous  Writers),  are  mere  personifications  of  the  good  prin- 
ciple and  the  evil  principle  of  man’s  nature : they  are  fabled  to  occupy 
each  a shoulder,  and  to  keep  a list  of  words  and  deeds.  This  is  certainly 
borrowed  from  a more  ancient  faith.  In  Hermas  II.  (command  6),  we 
are  told  that  “ every  man  has  two  angels,  one  of  godliness  the  other  of 
iniquity,”  who  endeavor  to  secure  his  allegiance, — a superstition  seem- 
ingly founded  upon  the  dualism  of  the  old  Persians.  Mediaeval  Europe, 
which  borrowed  so  much  from  the  East  at  the  time  of  the  Crusades, 
degraded  these  angels  into  good  and  bad  fairies  for  children’s  stories. 

* Yet  Mohammed  enjoined  his  followers  to  frequent  grave-yards. 
“ Visit  graves  ; of  a verity  they  shall  make  you  think  of  futurity  !”  and 
again,  “ Whoso  visiteth  the  grave  of  his  two  parents  every  Friday,  or 
one  of  the  two,  he  shall  be  written  a pious  child,  even  though  he  might 
have  been  in  the  world,  before  that,  disobedient  to  them.” 


204  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

south,  surrounded  by  stone  walls  without  any  aperture,  or, 
as  others  say,  by  strong  planking.*  Whatever  this  material 
may  be,  it  is  hung  outside  with  a curtain,  somewhat  like  a 
large  four-post  bed.  The  outer  railing  is  separated  by  a 
dark  narrow  passage  from  the  inner  one,  which  it  surrounds, 
and  is  of  iron  filagree  painted  of  a vivid  grass  green, — with 
a view  to  the  garden, — whilst  carefully  inserted  in  the  ver- 
dure, and  doubly  bright  by  contrast,  is  the  gilt  or  burnished 
brass  work  forming  the  long  and  graceful  letters  of  the  Suls 
character,  and  disposed  into  the  Moslem  creed,  the  pro- 
fession of  unity,  and  similar  religious  sentences.  On  the 
south  side,  for  greater  honor,  the  railing  is  plated  over 
with  silver,  and  silver  letters  are  interlaced  with  it.  This 
fence,  which  connects  the  columns  and  forbids  passage  to 
all  men,  may  be  compared  to  the  baldacchino  of  Roman 
churches.  It  has  four  gates : that  to  the  south  is  the  Bab 
el  Muwajihah ; eastward  is  the  gate  of  our  Lady  Fatimah ; 
westward  the  Bab  el  Taubah,  (of  repentance,)  opening  into 
the  Rauzah  or  garden,  and  to  the  north,  the  Bab  el  Shami 
or  Syrian  gate.  They  are  constantly  kept  closed,  except 
the  fourth,  which  admits,  into  the  dark  narrow  passage 
above  alluded  to,  the  officers  who  have  charge  of  the  trea- 
sures there  deposited,  and  the  eunuchs  who  sweep  the  floor, 
light  the  lamps,  and  carry  away  the  presents  sometimes 
thrown  in  here  by  devotees.f  In  the  southern  side  of  the 

* The  truth  is  no  one  knows  what  is  there.  I have  even  heard  a 
learned  Persian  declare  that  there  is  no  wall  behind  the  curtain,  which 
hangs  so  loosely  that,  when  the  wind  blows  against  it,  it  defines  the  form 
of  a block  of  marble,  or  a built-up  tomb.  I believe  this  to  be  wholly 
apocryphal,  for  reasons  which  will  presently  be  offered. 

I The  peculiar  place  where  the  guardians  of  the  tomb  sit  and  con- 
fabulate is  the  Dakkat  el  Ayhawat  (eunuch’s  bench)  or  el  Mayda — the 
table — a raised  bench  of  stone  and  wood,  on  the  north  side  of  the  Hujrah. 
The  remaining  part  of  this  side  is  partitioned  off  from  the  body  of  the 


THE  PRAYER  AT  THE  MOSQUE. 


205 


fence  are  three  windows,  holes  about  half  a foot  square,  and 
placed  from  four  to  five  feet  above  the  ground ; they  are 
said  to  be  between  three  and  four  cubits  distant  from  the 
Prophet’s  head.  The  most  westerly  of  these  is  supposed  to 
front  Mohammed’s  tomb,  wherefore  it  is  called  the  Shubak 
el  Nabi,  or  the  Prophet’s  window.  The  next,  on  the  right 
as  you  front  it,  is  Abubekr’s,  and  the  most  easterly  of  the 
three  is  Omar’s.  Above  the  Hujrah  is  the  Green  Dome, 
surmounted  outside  by  a large  gilt  crescent  springing  from 
a series  of  globes.  The  glowing  imaginations  of  the  Mos- 
lems crown  this  gem  of  the  building  with  a pillar  of  hea- 
venly light,  which  directs  from  three  days’  distance  the 
pilgrims’  steps  towards  El  Medinah.  But  alas ! none  save 
holy  men,  (and  perhaps,  odylic  sensitives,)  whose  material 
organs  are  piercing  as  their  vision  spiritual,  are  allowed  the 
privilege  of  beholding  this  poetic  splendor. 

Arrived  at  the  Shubah  el  Nabi,  Hamid  took  his  stand 
about  six  feet  or  so  out  of  reach  of  the  railing,  and  at  that 
respectful  distance  from,  and  facing*  the  Hazirah  (or  pre- 
sence), with  hands  raised  as  in  prayer,  he  recited  the  follow- 
ing supplication  in  a low  voice,  telling  me  in  a stage  whis- 
per to  repeat  it  after  him  with  awe,  and  fear,  and  love. 

“ Peace  be  with  thee,  O Prophet  of  Allah,  and  the  mercy 
of  Allah  and  his  blessings  ! Peace  be  with  thee,  O Prophet 

mosque  by  a dwarf  wall,  inclosing  the  “ Khasafat  el  Sultan,”  the  place 
where  Fakihs  are  perpetually  engaged  in  Khitmahs , or  perusals  of  the 
Koran,  on  behalf  of  the  reigning  Sultan. 

* The  ancient  practice  of  El  Islam  during  the  recitation  of  the  follow- 
ing benedictions  was  to  face  Meccali,  the  back  being  turned  towards  the 
tomb,  and  to  form  a mental  image  of  the  Prophet,  supposing  him  to  be 
in  front.  El  Kirmani  and  other  doctors  prefer  this  as  the  more  venera- 
ble custom,  but  in  these  days  it  is  completely  exploded,  and  the  purist 
would  probably  be  soundly  bastinadoed  by  the  eunuchs  for  attempt- 
ing it. 


206  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAI1. 

of  Allah  ! Peace  be  with  thee,  O friend  of  Allah  ! Peace 
be  with  thee,  O best  of  Allah’s  creation ! Peace  be  with 
thee,  O pure  creature  of  Allah ! Peace  be  with  thee,  O 
chief  of  Prophets  ! Peace  be  with  thee,  O seal  of  the  Pro- 
phets ! Peace  be  with  thee,  O prince  of  the  pious ! Peace 
be  with  thee,  O Prophet  of  the  Lord  of  the  (three)  wrorlds  ! 
Peace  be  with  thee,  and  with  thy  family,  and  with  thy  pure 
wives  ! Peace  be  with  thee,  and  with  all  thy  companions  ! 
Peace  be  with  thee,  and  with  all  the  Prophets,  and  with 
those  sent  to  preach  Allah’s  word ! Peace  be  with  thee, 
and  with  all  Allah’s  righteous  worshippers ! Peace  be  with 
thee,  O thou  bringer  of  glad  tidings  ! Peace  be  with  thee, 
O bearer  of  threats ! Peace  be  with  thee,  O thou  bright 
lamp!  Peace  be  with  thee,  O thou  Prophet  of  mercy! 
Peace  be  with  thee,  O ruler  of  thy  faith  ! Peace  be  with 
thee,  O opener  of  grief ! Peace  be  with  thee  ! and  Allah 
bless  thee  ! and  Allah  repay  thee  for  us,  O thou  Prophet  of 
Allah ! the  choicest  of  blessings  with  which  he  ever  blessed 
prophet ! Allah  bless  thee  as  often  as  mentioners  have  men- 
tioned thee,  and  forgetters  have  forgotten  thee ! And 
Allah  bless  thee  among  the  first  and  the  last,  with  the  best, 
the  highest,  and  the  fullest  of  blessings  ever  bestowed  on 
man,  even  as  we  escaped  error  by  means  of  thee,  and  were 
made  to  see  after  blindness,  and  after  ignorance,  were 
directed  into  the  right  way.  I bear  witness  that  there  is  no 
Allah  but  Allah,  and  I testify  that  thou  art  his  servant,  and 
his  prophet,  and  his  faithful  follower,  and  best  creature. 
And  I bear  witness,  O Prophet  of  Allah ! that  thou  hast 
delivered  thy  message,  and  discharged  thy  trust,  and  advised 
thy  faith,  and  opened  grief,  and  published  proofs,  and  fought 
valiantly  for  thy  Lord,  and  worshipped  thy  God  till  certainty 
came  to  thee  (i.  e.  to  the  hour  of  death),  and  we  thy  friends, 
O Prophet  of  Allah  ! appear  before  thee  travellers  from  dis- 
tant lands  and  far  countries,  through  dangers  and  difficul- 


THE  PRAYER  AT  THE  MOSQUE. 


207 


ties,  in  the  times  of  darkness,  and  in  the  hours  of  day,  long- 
ing to  give  thee  thy  rights  (i.  e.  to  honor  the  Prophet  by 
benediction  and  visitation),  and  to  obtain  the  blessings  of 
thine  intercession,  for  our  sins  have  broken  our  backs,  and 
thou  intercedest  with  the  Healer.  And  Allah  said,* * * §  c And 
though  they  have  injured  themselves,  they  came  to  thee, 
and  begged  thee  to  secure  their  pardon,  and  they  found 
God  an  acceptor  of  penitence,  and  full  of  compassion.’  O 
Prophet  of  Allah,  intercession!  intercession!  intercession!! 
O Allah  bless  Mohammed  and  Mohammed’s  family,  and 
give  him  suj3eriority  and  high  rank,  even  as  thou  didst  pro- 
mise him,  and  graciously  allow  us  to  conclude  this  visita- 
tion. I deposit  on  this  spot,  and  near  thee,  O Prophet  of 
God,  my  everlasting  profession  (of  faith)  from  this  our  day, 
to  the  day  of  judgment,  that  there  is  no  Allah  but  Allah, 
and  that  our  Lord  Mohammed  is  his  servant,  and  his  Pro- 
phet.J  Amen  ! O Lord  of  the  (three)  worlds!’  ”§ 

After  which,  performing  Ziyarat  for  ourselves,  ||  we 


* This  is  the  usual  introduction  to  a quotation  from  the  Koran. 

! It  may  easily  be  conceived  how  offensive  this  must  be  to  the 
Wahhabis,  who  consider  it  blasphemy  to  assert  that  a mere  man  can 
stand  between  the  Creator  and  the  creature  on  the  last  day. 

\ This  is  called  the  Testification.  Like  the  Fat-hah,  it  is  repeated  at 
every  holy  place  and  tomb  visited  at  El  Medinah. 

§ Burckhardt  mentions  that  in  his  day,  among  other  favors  suppli- 
cated in  prayer  to  the  Deity,  the  following  request  was  made, — “ Destroy 
our  enemies,  and  may  the  torments  of  hell  fire  be  their  lot  !”  I never 
heard  it  at  the  Prophet’s  tomb 

As  the  above  benediction  is  rather  a long  one,  the  Zair  is  allowed  to 
shorten  it  d discretion , but  on  no  account  to  say  less  than  “ Peace  be 
with  thee,  O Prophet  of  Allah” — this  being  the  gist  of  the  ceremony. 

| Though  performing  Ziy&rat  for  myself,  I had  promised  my  old 
Shaykh  at  Cairo  to  recite  a Fat-hah  in  his  name  at  the  Prophet’s  tomb ; 
so  a double  recitation  fell  to  my  lot.  If  acting  Zair  for  another  person 
(a  common  custom  we  read,  even  in  the  days  of  El  Walid,  the  Caliph  of 


208  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINA  H AND  MECCAII. 

repeated  the  Fat-hah  or  “ opening”  chapter  of  the  Ko- 
ran. 

“ 1.  In  the  name  of  Allah,  the  merciful,  the  compas- 
sionate ! 

“ 2.  Praise  be  to  Allah,  who  the  (three)  worlds  made. 

“ 3.  The  merciful,  the  compassionate. 

“ 4.  The  king  of  the  day  of  fate. 

“5.  Thee  (alone)  do  we  worship,  and  of  thee  (alone)  do 
we  ask  aid. 

“6.  Guide  us  to  the  path  that  is  straight — 

“ 7.  The  path  of  those  for  whom  thy  love  is  great,  not 
those  on  whom  is  hate,  nor  they  that  deviate. 

“ Amen ! O Lord  of  Angels,  Ginns,  and  men  !”* 

After  reciting  this  mentally  with  upraised  hands,  the 
forefinger  of  the  right  hand  being  extended  to  its  full 
length,  we  drew  our  palms  down  our  faces  and  did  alms- 
deeds,  a vital  part  of  the  ceremony.  Thus  concludes  the 
first  part  of  the  ceremony  of  visitation  at  the  Prophet’s 
tomb. 

Hamid  then  stepped  about  a foot  and  a half  to  the  right, 
and  I followed  his  example ; so  as  to  place  myself  exactly 
opposite  the  second  aperture  in  the  grating  called  Abu- 
bekr’s  window.  There,  making  a sign  towards  the  mauso- 
leum, we  addressed  its  inmate  as  follows  : “ Peace  be  with 
thee,  O Abubekr,  O thou  truthful  one ! Peace  be  with 


Damascus),  you  are  hound  to  mention  your  principal’s  name  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  benediction,  thus:  “ Peace  be  with  thee,  O Prophet  of 
Allah,  from  such  a one,  the  son  of  such  a one,  who  wants  thine  interces- 
sion, and  begs  for  pardon  and  mercy.”  Most  Zairs  recite  Fat-hahs  for  all 
their  friends  and  relations  at  the  tomb. 

* I have  endeavored  in  this  translation  to  imitate  the  imperfect  rhyme 
of  the  original  Arabic.  Such  an  attempt,  however,  is  full  of  difficul- 
ties : the  Arabic  is  a language  in  which,  like  Italian,  it  is  almost  impos- 
sible not  to  rhyme. 


BENEDICTION  ON  03IAR. 


209 


thee,  O caliph  of  Allah’s  Prophet  over  his  people ! Peace 
be  with  thee,  O Companion  of  the  Cave,  and  friend  in 
travel ! Peace  be  with  thee,  O thou  banner  of  the  fugitives 
and  the  auxiliaries ! I testify  that  thou  didst  ever  stand 
firm  in  the  right  way,  and  wast  a smiter  of  the  infidel,  and 
a benefactor  to  thine  own  people.  Allah  grant  thee  through 
his  Prophet  weal ! We  pray  Almighty  God  to  cause  us  to 
die  in  thy  friendship,  and  to  raise  us  up  in  company  with  his 
Prophet  and  thyself,  even  as  he  hath  mercifully  vouchsafed 
to  us  this  visitation.”* * * § 

After  which  we  closed  one  more  step  to  the  right,  and 
standing  opposite  Omar’s  window,  the  most  easterly  of  the 
three,  after  making  a sign  with  our  hands,  we  addressed  the 
just  Caliph  in  these  words  : u Peace  be  with  thee,  O Omar ! 
O thou  just  one  ! thou  prince  of  true  believers  ! Peace  be 
with  thee,  who  spakest  with  truth,  and  who  madest  thy  word 
agree  with  the  Strong  Book  ! (the  Koran),  O thou  Faruk.j* 
Thou  faithful  one ! who  girdest  thy  loins  with  the  Prophet, 
and  the  first  believers,  and  with  them  didst  make  up  the  full 
number  forty, J and  thus  causedst  to  be  accomplished  the 
Prophet’s  prayer, § and  then  didst  return  to  thy  God  a 
martyr  leaving  the  world  with  praise ! Allah  grant  thee, 
through  his  Prophet  and  his  Caliph  and  his  followers,  the 
best  of  good,  and  may  Allah  feel  in  thee  all  satisfaction !” 

Shaykh  Hamid,  after  wrenching  a beggar  or  two  from 

* It  will  not  be  necessary  to  inform  the  reader  more  than  once  that 
all  these  several  divisions  of  prayer  ended  with  the  Testification  and  the 
Fat-h&h. 

f Faruk, — the  separator, — a title  of  Omar. 

X When  the  number  of  the  As-hab  or  “ Companions”  was  thirty- 
nine,  they  were  suddenly  joined  by  Omar,  who  thus  became  the  fortieth. 

§ It  is  said  that  Mohammed  prayed  long  for  the  conversion  of  Omar 
to  El  Islam,  knowing  his  sterling  qualities,  and  the  aid  he  would  lend  to 
the  establishment  of  the  faith. 


210  * A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINA!!  AND  MECCAH. 


my  shoulders,  then  permitted  me  to  draw  near  to  the  little 
window,  called  the  Prophet’s,  and  look  in.  Here  my  pro- 
ceedings were  watched  with  suspicious  eyes.  The  Persians 
have  sometimes  managed  to  pollute  the  part  near  Abubekr’s 
and  Omar’s  graves  by  tossing  through  the  aperture  what  is 
externally  a handsome  shawl  intended  as  a present  for  the 
tomb.*  After  straining  my  eyes  for  a time  I saw  a curtain, f 
or  rather  hangings,  with  three  inscriptions  in  large  gold 
letters,  informing  readers,  that  behind  them  lie  Allah’s  Pro- 
phet and  the  two  first  caliphs.  The  exact  place  of  Moham- 

* This  foolish  fanaticism  has  lost  many  an  innocent  life,  for  the  Arabs 
on  these  occasions  seize  their  sabres,  and  cut  down  every  Persian  they 
meet.  Still,  bigoted  Shiahs  persist  in  practising  and  applauding  it,  and 
the  man  who  can  boast  at  Shiraz  of  having  defiled  Abubekr’s,  Omar’s, 
or  Osman’s  tomb  becomes  at  once  a lion  and  a hero. 

| Burckhardt,  with  his  usual  accuracy,  asserts  that  a new  curtain  is 
sent  when  the  old  one  is  decayed,  or  when  a new  Sultan  ascends  the 
throne,  and  those  authors  err  who,  like  Maundrell,  declare  the  curtain  to 
be  removed  every  year. 

The  Damascus  caravan  conveys,  together  with  its  Mahmal  or  emblem 
of  royalty,  the  new  Kiswah  (or  “ garment”)  when  required  for  the  tomb. 
It  is  put  on  by  the  eunuchs,  who  enter  the  baldaquin  by  its  northern 
gate  at  night  time,  and  there  is  a superstitious  story  amongst  the  people 
that  they  guard  their  eyes  with  veils  against  the  supernatural  splendors 
which  pour  from  the  tomb. 

The  Kiswah  is  a black,  purple,  or  green  brocade,  embroidered  with 
white  or  with  silver  letters.  A piece  in  my  possession,  the  gift  of  Omar 
Effendi,  is  a handsome  silk  and  cotton  Damascus  brocade,  with  white 
letters  worked  in  it — manifestly  the  produce  of  manual  labor,  not  the 
poor  dull  work  of  machinery.  It  contains  the  formula  of  the  Moslem 
faith  in  the  cursive  style  of  the  Suls  character,  seventy-two  varieties  of 
which  are  enumerated  by  calligraphers.  Nothing  can  be  more  elegant 
or  appropriate  than  its  appearance.  The  old  curtain  is  usually  dis- 
tributed amongst  the  officers  of  the  mosque,  and  sold  in  bits  to  pilgrims  ; 
in  some  distant  Moslem  countries,  the  possessor  of  such  a relic  would  be 
considered  a saint.  When  treating  of  the  history  of  the  mosque,  some 
remarks  will  be  offered  about  the  origin  of  this  curtain. 


DESCRIPTION  OF  TIIE  TOMB. 


211 


med’s  tomb  is  moreover  distinguished  by  a large  pearl 
rosary,  and  a peculiar  ornament,  the  celebrated  Kaukab  el 
Durri,  or  constellation  of  pearls,  suspended  to  the  curtain 
breast  high.*  This  is  described  to  be  a “ brilliant  star  set 
in  diamonds  and  pearls,”  and  placed  in  the  dark  in  order 
that  man’s  eye  may  be  able  to  bear  its  splendors  ; the  vulgar 
believe  it  to  be  a “jewel  of  the  jewels  of  Paradise.”  To 
me  it  greatly  resembled  the  round  stoppers  of  glass,  used 
for  the  humbler  sort  of  decanters,  but  I never  saw  it  quite 
near  enough  to  judge  fairly  of  it,  and  did  not  think  fit  to 
pay  an  exorbitant  sum  for  the  privilege  of  entering  the 
inner  passage  of  the  baldaquin.f  Altogether  the  coup-d'oeil 
had  nothing  to  recommend  it  by  day.  At  night,  when  the 
lamps  hung  in  this  passage  shed  a dim  light  upon  the  mosaic 
work  of  the  marble  floors,  upon  the  glittering  inscriptions, 
and  the  massive  hangings,  the  scene  is  more  likely  to  become 
“ ken-speckle.” 

Never  having  seen  the  tomb,; { I must  depict  it  from 

* The  place  of  the  Prophet’s  head  is,  I was  told,  marked  by  a fine 
Koran  hung  up  to  the  curtain  ! This  volume  is  probably  a successor  to 
the  relic  formerly  kept  there,  the  Cufic  Koran  belonging  to  Osman,  the 
fourth  Caliph,  which  Burckliardt  supposes  to  have  perished  in  the  con- 
flagration which  destroyed  the  mosque. 

f The  eunuchs  of  the  tomb  have  the  privilege  of  admitting  strangers. 
In  this  passage  are  preserved  the  treasures  of  the  place;  they  are  a 
“ bait  Mai  el  Muslimin,”  or  public  treasury  of  the  Moslems ; therefore 
to  be  employed  by  the  Caliph  (i.  e.  the  reigning  Sultan)  for  the  exigen- 
cies of  the  faith.  The  amount  is  said  to  be  enormous,  which  I doubt. 

\ And  I might  add,  never  having  seen  one  who  has  seen  it.  Niebuhr 
is  utterly  incorrect  in  his  hearsay  description  of  it.  It  is  not  “ enclosed 
within  iron  railings  for  fear  lest  the  people  might  superstitiously  offer 
worship  to  the  ashes  of  the  Prophet.”  The  tomb  is  not  “ of  plain 
mason-work  in  the  form  of  a chest,”  nor  does  any  one  believe  that  it  is 
“ placed  within  or  between  two  other  tombs,  in  which  rest  the  ashes 
of  the  two  first  caliphs.”  The  traveller  appears  to  have  lent  a credu- 
lous ear  to  the  eminent  Arab  merchant,  who  told  him  that  a guard  was 


212  A PILGKIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

books,  by  no  means  an  easy  task.  Most  of  the  historians 
are  silent  after  describing  the  inner  walls  of  the  Hujrah.  El 
Kalka-shandi  declares  “ in  eo  lapidem  nobilem  continere  se- 
pulchra  Apostoli,  Abubecr  et  Omar,  circumcinctum  peribole 
in  modum  conclavis  fere  usque  ad  tectum  assurgente  quin 
velo  serico  nigro  obligatur.”  This  author,  then,  agrees  with 
my  Persian  friends,  who  declare  the  sepulchre  to  be  a mar- 
ble slab.  Ibn  Jubayr,  who  travelled  a.  h.  580,  relates  that 
the  Prophet’s  coffin  is  a box  of  ebony  (abnus)  covered  with 
sandal- wood,  and  plated  with  silver ; it  is  placed,  he  says, 
behind  a curtain,  and  surrounded  by  an  iron  grating.  El 
Samanhudi,  quoted  by  Burckhardt,  declares  that  the  cur- 
tain covers  a square  building  of  black  stones,  in  the  interior 
of  which  are  the  tombs  of  Mohammed  and  his  two  immedi- 
ate successors.  He  adds  that  the  tombs  are  deep  holes,  and 
that  the  coffin  which  contains  the  Prophet  is  cased  with 
silver,  and  has  on  the  top  a marble  slab  inscribed  u Bismil- 
lah  ! Allahumma  salli  alayh !”  (“  In  the  name  of  Allah ! 

Allah  have  mercy  upon  him  !”)* 


placed  over  the  tomb  to  prevent  the  populace  scraping  dirt  from  about 
it,  and  preserving  it  as  a relic. 

* Burckhardt,  however,  must  be  in  error  when  he  says,  “ The  tombs 
are  also  covered  with  precious  stuffs,  and  in  the  shape  of  catafalques, 
like  that  of  Ibrahim  in  the  great  mosque  of  Meccah.”  The  eunuchs 
positively  declare  that  no  one  ever  approaches  the  tomb,  and  that  he 
who  ventured  to  do  so  would  at  once  be  blinded  by  the  supernatural 
light.  Moreover,  the  historians  of  El  Medinah  all  quote  tales  of  certain 
visions  of  the  Prophet,  directing  his  tomb  to  be  cleared  of  dust  that  had 
fallen  upon  it  from  above,  in  which  case  some  man  celebrated  for  piety 
and  purity  was  let  through  a hole  in  the  roof  ’ by  cords,  down  to  the 
tomb,  with  directions  to  wipe  it  with  his  beard.  This  style  of  ingress 
is  explained  by  another  assertion  of  El  Samanhudi,  quoted  by  Burck- 
hardt. In  a.  h.  892,  when  Kaid-bey  rebuilt  the  mosque,  which  had 
been  destroyed  by  lightning,  three  deep  graves  were  found  in  the  inside, 
full  of  rubbish,  but  the  author  of  this  history,  who  himself  entered  it, 


POSITION  OF  THE  PKOPHET’S  BODY. 


213 


The  Prophet’s  body,  it  should  be  remembered,  lies,  or  is 
supposed  to  lie,  stretched  at  full  length  on  the  right  side, 
with  the  right  palm  supporting  the  right  cheek,  the  face 
fronting  Meccah,  as  Moslems  are  always  buried,  and  con- 
sequently the  body  lies  with  the  head  almost  to  due  West 
and  the  feet  to  due  East.  Close  behind  him  is  placed  Abu- 
bekr,  whose  face  fronts  the  Prophet’s  shoulder,*  and  lastly 
Omar  holds  the  same  position  with  respect  to  his  predecessor. 

It  is  popularly  believed  that  in  the  Hujrah  there  is  now 
spare  place  for  only  a single  grave,  which  is  reserved  for  Isa 
ben  Maryam  after  his  second  coming.  The  historians  of 
El  Islam  are  full  of  tales  proving  that  though  many  of  their 
early  saints,  as  Osman  the  Caliph  and  Hasan  the  Imam, 
were  desirous  of  being  buried  there,  and  that  although 
Ayisha,  to  whom  the  room  belonged,  willingly  acceded  to 
their  wishes,  son  of  man  has  as  yet  been  unable  to  occupy  it. 

After  the  Fat-hah  pronounced  at  Omar’s  tomb,  and  the 
short  inspection  of  the  Hujrah,  Shaykh  Hamid  led  me  round 
the  south-east  corner  of  the  baldaquin. f Turning  towards 

saw  no  traces  of  tombs.  The  original  place  of  Mohammed’s  tomb  was 
ascertained  with  great  difficulty:  the  walls  of  the  Hujrah  were  then 
rebuilt , and  the  iron  railing  placed  round  it,  which  is  now  there. 

* Upon  this  point  authors  greatly  disagree.  Ibn  Jubayr,  for  instance, 
says,  that  Abubekr’s  head  is  opposite  the  Prophet’s  feet,  and  that  Omar’s 
face  is  on  a level  with  Abubekr’s  shoulder. 

The  vulgar  story  of  the  suspended  coffin  has  been  explained  in  two 
ways.  Niebuhr  supposes  it  to  have  arisen  from  the  rude  drawings  sold 
to  strangers.  Mr.  William  Bankes  (Giovanni  Finati,  vol.  ii.  p.  289)  more 
sensibly  believes  that  the  mass  of  rock  popularly  described  as  hanging 
unsupported  in  the  mosque  of  Omar  at  Jerusalem,  was  confounded  by 
Christians,  who  could  not  have  seen  either  of  these  Moslem  shrines,  with 
the  Prophet’s  tomb  at  El  Medinah. 

\ Some  Moslems  end  their  Ziyarat  at  the  Prophet’s  tomb ; others, 
instead  of  advancing,  as  I did,  return  to  the  Prophet’s  window,  pray, 
and  beg  pardon  for  their  parents  and  themselves,  and  ask  all  they  desire, 


214  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCA  H* 

the  north  we  stopped  at  what  is  commonly  called  the  Mah- 
bat  Jibrail,  (“  Place  of  the  Archangel  Gabriel’s  Descent 
with  the  Heavenly  Revelations,”)  or  simply  El  Malaikah — 
the  Angels.  It  is  a small  window  in  the  eastern  wall  of  the 
mosque ; we  turned  our  backs  upon  it,  and  fronting  the 
Hujrah,  recited  the  following  prayer  : — 

“ Peace  be  with  you,  ye  Angels  of  Allah,  the  Mukarra- 
bin  (cherubs),  and  the  Musharrafin  (seraphs),  the  pure,  the 
holy,  honored  by  the  dwellers  in  heaven,  and  by  those  who 
abide  upon  the  earth.  O beneficent  Lord ! O long-suffering ! 
O Almighty ! O Pitier ! O thou  Compassionate  One  ! per- 
fect our  light,  and  pardon  our  sins,  and  accept  penitence  for 

concluding  with  prayers  to  the  Almighty.  Thence  they  repair  to  the 
Rauzah  or  Garden,  and  standing  at  the  column  called  after  Abu  Luba- 
bah,  pray  a two-prostration  prayer  there  ; concluding  with  the  “ Dua,” 
or  benediction  upon  the  Prophet,  and  there  repeat  these  words : “ 0 
Allah,  thou  hast  said,  and  thy  word  is  true,  ‘ Say,  O Lord,  pardon  and 
show  mercy ; for  thou  art  the  best  of  the  Merciful,’  (chap.  23).  O God, 
verily  we  have  heard  thy  word,  and  we  come  for  intercession  to  thy 
Prophet  from  our  own  sins,  repenting  our  errors,  and  confessing  our 
shortcomings  and  transgressions ! O Allah,  pity  us,  and  by  the  dignity 
of  thy  Prophet  raise  our  place  (in  the  heavenly  kingdom) ! O Allah, 
pardon  our  brothers  who  have  preceded  us  in  ‘ the  Faith ! ’ ” Then  the 
Zair  prays  for  himself,  and  his  parents,  and  for  those  he  loves.  He 
should  repeat,  “Allah  have  mercy  upon  thee,  O Prophet  of  Allah!” 
seventy  times,  when  an  angel  will  reply,  “ Allah  bless  thee,  O thou 
blesser ! ” Then  he  should  sit  before  the  pulpit,  and  mentally  conceive 
in  it  the  Prophet  surrounded  by  the  Fugitives  and  the  Auxiliaries. 
Borne  place  the  right  hand  upon  the  pulpit,  even  as  Mohammed  used 
to  do. 

The  Zair  then  returns  to  the  column  of  Abu  Lubabah,  and  repents 
his  sins  there.  Secondly,  he  stands  in  prayer  at  Ali’s  pillar  in  front 
of  the  form.  And  lastly,  he  repairs  to  the  Ustuwanat  el  As-hab,  (the 
Companion’s  Column,)  the  fourth  distant  from  the  pulpit  on  the  right, 
and  the  third  from  the  Hujrah  on  the  left ; here  he  prays,  and  meditates, 
and  blesses  Allah  and  the  Prophet.  After  which,  he  proceeds  to  visit 
the  rest  of  the  holy  places. 


THE  TOMB  OF  THE  LADY  FATIMAH. 


215 


our  offences,  and  cause  us  to  die  among  the  holy  ! Peace 
be  with  ye,  Angels  of  the  Merciful,  one  and  all ! And  the 
mercy  of  God  and  his  blessings  be  upon  you !”  after  which 
I was  shown  the  spot  in  the  Hujrah  where  Sayyidna  Isa 
shall  be  buried*  by  Mohammed’s  side. 

Then  turning  towards  the  west,  at  a point  where  there - 
is  a break  in  the  symmetry  of  the  Hujrah,  we  arrived  at  the 
sixth  station,  the  sepulchre  or  cenotaph  of  the  Lady  Fatimah. 
Her  grave  is  outside  the  enceinte  and  the  curtain  which 
surrounds  her  father’s  remains,  so  strict  is  Moslem  decorum, 
and  so  exalted  its  opinion  of  the  “ Virgin’s”  delicacy ; the 
eastern  side  of  the  Hujrah,  here  turning  a little  westward, 
interrupting  the  shape  of  the  square,  in  order  to  give  this  spot 
the  appearance  of  disconnection  with  the  rest  of  the  building. 
The  tomb,  seen  through  a square  aperture  like  those  above 
described,  is  a long  catafalque,  covered  with  a black  pall. 
Though  there  is  great  doubt  whether  the  lady  be  not  buried 
with  her  son  Hasan  in  the  Bakia  cemetery,  this  place  is 
always  visited  by  the  pious  Moslem. 

The  following  is  the  prayer  opposite  the  grave  of  the 
amiable  Fatimah : — 

“ Peace  be  with  thee,  daughter  of  the  Messenger  of 
Allah ! Peace  be  with  thee,  daughter  of  the  Prophet  of 
Allah ! Peace  be  with  thee,  thou  daughter  of  Mustafa ! 
Peace  be  with  thee,  thou  mother  of  the  Shurafa  !f  Peace 
be  with  thee,  O Lady  amongst  women ! Peace  be  with 

* It  is  almost  unnecessary  to  inform  the  reader  that  all  Moslems 
deny  the  personal  suffering  of  Christ,  cleaving  to  the  heresy  of  the 
Christian  Docetes, — certain  “ beasts  in  the  shape  of  men,”  as  they  are 
called  in  the  Epistles  of  Ignatius  to  the  Smyrneans, — who  believed  that 
a phantom  was  crucified  in  our  Savior's  place.  They  also  hold  to  the 
second  coming  of  the  Lord  in  the  flesh,  as  a forerunner  to  Mohammed, 
who  shall  reappear  shortly  before  the  day  of  judgment. 

+ Plural  of  Slierif,  a descendant  of  Mohammed. 


216  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

thee,  O fifth  of  the  Ahl  El  Kisa  ! * * * § Peace  be  with  thee,  O 
Zahra  and  Batfil ! f Peace  be  with  thee,  O daughter  of  the 
Prophet ! Peace  be  with  thee,  O spouse  of  our  lord  Ali  El 
Murtaza!  Peace  be  with  thee,  O mother  of  Hassan  and 
Hosayn,  the  two  moons,  the  two  lights,  the  two  pearls,  the 
two  princes  of  the  youth  of  heaven,  and  gladness  of  the 
eyesj  of  true  believers  ! Peace  be  with  thee  and  with  thy 
sire,  El  Mustafa,  and  thy  husband,  our  lord  Ali!  Allah 
honor  his  face,  and  thy  face,  and  thy  father’s  face  in  Para- 
dise, and  thy  two  sons  the  Hasanayn ! And  the  mercy  of 
Allah  and  his  blessings (Concluding  with  the  Testification 
and  the  Fat-hah.) 

W e then  broke  away  as  we  best  could  from  the  crowd  of 
female  uaskers,”  who  have  established  their  Lares  and  Penates 
under  the  shadow  of  the  Lady’s  wing,  and  advancing  a 
few  paces,  we  fronted  to  the  north,  and  recited  a prayer  in 
honor  of  Ilamzah,  and  the  martyrs  who  lie  buried  at  the  foot 
of  Mount  Ohod.§  W e then  turned  to  the  right,  and,  front- 
ing the  easterly  wall,  prayed  for  the  souls  of  the  blessed  whose 
mortal  spirits  repose  within  El  Bakia’s  hallowed  circuit.  || 


* The  “ people  of  the  garment,”  so  called,  because  on  one  occasion  the 
Prophet  wrapped  his  cloak  around  himself,  his  daughter,  his  son-in-law? 
and  his  two  grandsons,  thereby  separating  them  in  dignity  from  other 
Moslems. 

| Burckhardt  translates  “ Zahra”  “ bright  blooming  Fatimah.”  This 
I believe  to  be  the  literal  meaning  of  the  epithet.  When  thus  applied, 
however,  it  denotes  “ virginem  ra  Ka-ra^via  nescientem,”  in  which  state 
of  purity  the  daughter  of  the  Prophet  is  supposed  to  have  lived.  For 
the  same  reason  she  is  called  El  Batul,  the  Virgin, — a title  given  by 
Eastern  Christians  to  the  Mother  of  our  Lord.  The  perpetual  virginity 
of  Fatimah,  even  after  the  motherhood,  is  a point  of  orthodoxy  in  El  Islam. 

J Meaning  “joy  and  gladness  in  the  sight  of  true  believers.” 

§ The  prayer  is  now  omitted,  in  order  to  avoid  the  repetition  of  it 
when  describing  a visit  to  Mount  Ohod. 

I The  prayers  usually  recited  here  are  especially  in  honor  of  Abbas, 


AT  THE  PROPHET’S  WINDOW. 


217 


After  this  we  returned  to  the  southern  wall  of  the 
mosque,  and,  facing  towards  Meccah,  we  recited  the  follow- 
ing supplication — “ O Allah  ! (three  times  repeated),  O 
Compassionate  ! O Beneficent ! O Requiter  (of  good  and 
evil) ! O Prince  ! O Ruler  ! O ancient  of  Benefits  ! O 
Omniscient  ! O thou  who  givest  when  asked,  and  who 
aidest  when  aid  is  required,  accept  this  our  Visitation,  and 
preserve  us  from  dangers,  and  make  easy  our  affairs,  and 
expand  our  chests,*  and  receive  our  prostration,  and  requite 
us  according  to  our  good  deeds,  and  turn  not  our  evil  deeds 
against  us,  and  place  not  over  us  one  who  feareth  not  thee, 
and  one  who  pitieth  not  us,  and  write  safety  and  health 
upon  us  and  upon  thy  slaves,  the  Hujjaj,  and  the  Ghuzat, 
and  the  Zawwar,f  and  the  home-dwellers  and  the  wayfarers 
of  the  Moslems,  by  land  and  by  sea,  and  pardon  those  of 
the  faith  of  our  lord  Mohammed  one  and  all !”  (Then  the 
Testification  and  the  Fat-hah.) 

From  the  southern  wall  we  returned  to  the  “ Prophet’s 
Window,”  where  we  recited  the  following  tetrastich  and 
prayer. 

“ 0 Mustafa ! verily,  I stand  at  thy  door, 

A man,  weak  and  fearful,  by  reason  of  my  sins: 

If  thou  aid  me  not,  0 Prophet  of  Allah ! 

I die — for  in  the  world  there  is  none  generous  as  thou  art !” 

“ Of  a truth,  Allah  and  his  Angels  bless  the  Prophet ! O 

Hasan,  (Ali,  called)  Zayn-El- Abidin,  Osman,  the  Lady  Halimah,  the 
Martyrs,  and  the  Mothers  of  the  Moslems  (i.  e.  the  Prophet’s  wives), 
buried  in  the  holy  cemetery.  When  describing  a visit  to  El  Bakia,  they 
will  be  translated  at  full  length. 

* That  is  to  say,  “ gladden  our  hearts.” 

\ Hujjaj  is  the  plural  of  Hajj — pilgrims;  Ghuzat,  of  Ghazi — cru- 
saders ; and  Zawwar  of  Zair — visitors  to  Mohammed’s  tomb. 

10 


218  A PILGKIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

ye  who  believe  bless  him  and  salute  him  with  salutation  !* 
O Allah  ! verily  I implore  thy  pardon,  and  supplicate  there- 
fore thine  aid  in  this  world  as  in  the  next ! O Allah  ! O 
Allah ! abandon  us  not  in  this  holy  place  to  the  consequen- 
ces of  our  sins  without  pardoning  them,  or  to  our  griefs 
without  consoling  them,  or  to  our  fears,  O Allah ! without 
removing  them.  And  blessings  and  salutation  to  thee,  O 
Prince  of  Prophets,  Commissioned  (to  preach  the  word), 
and  praise  to  Allah  the  lord  of  the  (three)  worlds !”  (Then 
the  Testification  and  the  Fat-hah.) 

We  turned  away  from  the  Hujrah,  and  after  gratifying 
a meek-looking  but  exceedingly  importunate  Indian  beggar, 
who  insisted  on  stunning  me  with  the  Chapter  Y,  S,f  we 
fronted  southwards,  and  taking  care  that  our  backs  should 
not  be  in  a line  with  the  Prophet’s  face,  stood  opposite  the 
niche  called  Mihrab  Osma.  There  Hamid  proceeded  with 
another  supplication.  “ O Allah ! (three  times  repeated), 
O Safeguard  of  the  fearful,  and  defenders  of  those  who 
trust  in  thee,  and  pitier  of  the  weak,  the  poor,  and  the  des- 
titute ! accept  us,  O Beneficent ! and  pardon  us,  O Merci- 
ful ! and  receive  our  penitence,  O Compassionate  ! and  have 
mercy  upon  us,  O Forgiver  ! — for  verily  none  but  thou  can 
remit  sin ! Of  a truth  thou  alone  knowest  the  hidden  and 
veilest  man’s  transgressions : veil,  then,  our  offences,  and 
pardon  our  sins,  and  expand  our  chests,  and  cause  our  last 
words  at  the  supreme  hour  of  life  to  be  the  words,  4 There 
is  no  God  but  Allah,  J and  our  lord  Mohammed  is  the  Pro- 

* “ Taslim”  is  “ to  say  Salam”  to  a person. 

f The  Ya  Sin  (Y,  S),  the  36th  chapter  of  the  Koran,  frequently  recit- 
ed by  those  whose  profession  it  is  to  say  such  masses  for  the  benefit  of 
living,  as  well  as  of  dead,  sinners.  Most  educated  Moslems  commit  it 
to  memory. 

\ (Or  more  correctly,  “ There  is  no  Ilah  but  Allah,”  that  is,  “ There 
is  no  Deity  but  God.”) 


THE  PILGRIM  PAYS  FOR  HIS  DIGNITY. 


219 


phet  of  Allah  !’  O Allah  ! cause  us  to  live  according  to  this 
saying,  O thou  Giver  of  life ! and  make  us  to  die  in  this 
faith,  O thou  ruler  of  death ! And  the  best  of  blessings 
and  the  completest  of  salutations  upon  the  sole  Lord  of  In- 
tercession, our  Lord  Mohammed  and  his  family,  and  his 
companions  one  and  all!”  (Then  the  Testification  and  the 
Fat-hah.) 

And,  lastly,  we  returned  to  the  Garden,  and  prayed 
another  two-prostration  prayer,  ending,  as  we  began,  with 
the  worship  of  the  Creator. 

Unfortunately  for  me,  the  boy  Mohammed  had  donned 
that  grand  embroidered  coat.  At  the  end  of  the  ceremony 
the  Aghas,  or  eunuchs  of  the  mosque, — a race  of  men  con- 
sidered respectable  by  their  office,  and  prone  to  make 
themselves  respected  by  the  freest  administration  of  club 
law, — assembled  in  El  Rauzat  to  offer  me  the  congratula- 
tion “Ziyaratak  Mubarak” — “blessed  be  thy  visitation,” 
and  to  demand  fees.  Then  came  the  Sakka,  or  water- 
carrier  of  the  Zemzen,*  offering  a tinned  saucer  filled  from 
the  holy  source.  And  lastly  I was  beset  by  beggars, — some 
mild  beggars  and  picturesque,  who  sat  upon  the  ground 
immersed  in  the  contemplation  of  their  napkins ; others 
angry  beggars,  who  cursed  if  they  were  not  gratified  ; and 
others  noisy  and  petulant  beggars,  especially  the  feminine 
party  near  the  Lady’s  tomb,  who  captured  me  by  the  skirt 
of  my  garment,  compelling  me  to  ransom  myself.  There 
were,  besides,  pretty  beggars,  boys  who  held  out  the  right 
hand  on  the  score  of  good  looks ; ugly  beggars,  emaciated 
rascals,  whose  long  hair,  dirt,  and  leanness,  entitled  them  to 
charity ; and  lastly,  the  blind,  the  halt,  and  the  diseased, 

* This  has  become  a generic  name  for  a well  situated  within  the 
walls  of  a mosqne. 


220  A PILGKIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

who,  as  sons  of  the  Holy  City,  demanded  from  the  Faithful 
that  support  with  which  they  could  not  provide  themselves. 
Having  been  compelled  by  my  companions,  highly  against 
my  inclination,  to  become  a man  of  rank,  I was  obliged  to 
pay  in  proportion,  and  my  almoner  in  the  handsome  coat, 
as  usual,  took  a pride  in  being  profuse.  This  first  visit  cost 
me  double  what  I had  intended — four  dollars — nearly  one 
pound  sterling,  and  never  afterwards  could  I pay  less  than 
half  that  sum.* 

Having  now  performed  all  the  duties  of  a good  Zair,  I 
was  permitted  by  Shaykh  Hamid  to  wander  about  and  see 
the  sights.  We  began  our  circumambulation  at  the  Bab  el 
Salam, — the  Gate  of  Salvation, — in  the  southern  portion  of 
the  western  long  wall  of  the  mosque.  It  is  a fine  arch- 
way handsomely  incrusted  with  marble  and  glazed  tiles;  the 
number  of  gilt  inscriptions  on  its  sides  give  it,  especially  at 
night-time,  an  appearance  of  considerable  splendor.  The 
portcullis-like  doors  are  of  wood,  strengthened  with  brass 
plates,  and  nails  of  the  same  metal.  Outside  this  gate  is  a 
little  Sabil,  or  public  fountain,  where  those  who  will  not 
pay  for  the  water,  kept  ready  in  large  earthen  jars  by  the 
“ Sakka/’  of  the  mosque,  perform  their  ablutions  gratis. 
Here  all  the  mendicants  congregate  in  force,  sitting  on  the 
outer  steps  and  at  the  entrance  of  the  mosque,  up  and 
through  which  the  visitors  must  pass.  About  the  centre  of 
the  western  wall  is  the  Bab  el  Rahmah — the  Gate  of  Pity. 
It  admits  the  dead  bodies  of  the  Faithful  when  carried  to  be 
prayed  over  in  the  mosque  ; there  is  nothing  remarkable  in 

* As  might  be  expected,  the  more  a man  pays,  the  higher  he  esti- 
mates his  own  dignity.  Some  Indians  have  spent  as  much  as  500  dollars 
during  a first  visit.  Others  have  “ made  maulids,”  i.  e.,  feasted  all  the 
poor  connected  with  the  temple  with  rice,  meat,  <fcc.,  while  others 
brought  rare  and  expensive  presents  for  the  officials.  Such  generosity, 
however,  is  becoming  rare  in  these  unworthy  days. 


THE  FIVE  GATES  AND  FIVE  MINARETS. 


221 


its  appearance ; in  common  with  the  other  gates,  it  has 
huge  folding  doors,  iron-bound,  an  external  flight  of  steps, 
and  a few  modern  inscriptions.  The  Bab  Mejidi  or  Gate 
(of  the  Sultan  Abd  el)  Mejid  stands  in  the  centre  of  the 
northern  wall ; like  its  portico,  it  is  unfinished,  but  its  pre- 
sent appearance  promises  that  it  will  eclipse  all  except  the 
Bab  el  Salam.  The  Bab  el  Nisa  is  in  the  eastern  wall 
opposite  the  Bab  el  Rahmah,  with  which  it  is  connected 
by  the  “ Farsh  el  Hajar,”  a broad  band  of  stone,  two  or 
three  steps  below  the  level  of  the  portico,  and  slightly 
raised  above  the  Sahn  or  the  hypsethral  portion  of  the 
mosque.  And  lastly,  in  the  southern  portion  of  the  same 
eastern  wall  is  the  Bab  Jibrail,  the  Gate  of  the  Archangel 
Gabriel.*  All  these  entrances  are  arrived  at  by  short 
external  flights  of  steps  leading  from  the  streets,  as  the 
base  of  the  temple,  unlike  that  of  Meccah,  is  a little  higher 
than  the  foundations  of  the  buildings  around  it.  The  doors 
are  closed  by  the  eunuchs  in  attendance,  immediately  after 
night  prayers,  except  during  the  blessed  month  El  Rama- 
zan, and  the  pilgrimage  season,  when  a number  of  pious 
visitors  pay  considerable  fees  to  pass  the  night  there  in 
meditation  and  prayer. 

The  minarets  are  five  in  number;  but  one,  the  Shi- 
kayliyah,  at  the  north-west  angle  of  the  building,  has  been 
levelled,  and  is  still  in  process  of  being  re-built.  The  Munar 
Bab  el  Salam  stands  by  the  gate  of  that  name : it  is  a tall 
handsome  tower  surmounted  by  a large  bull,  or  cow,  of 

* Most  of  these  entrances  have  been  named  and  renamed.  The  Bab 
Jibrail,  for  instance,  which  derives  its  present  appellation  from  the 
general  belief  that  the  angel  once  passed  through  it,  is  generally 
called  in  books  Bab  el  Jabr,  the  Gate  of  Repairing  (the  broken  fortunes 
of  a friend  or  follower).  It  must  not  be  confounded  with  the  Mahbat 
Jibrail,  or  the  window  near  it  in  the  eastern  wall,  where  the  archangel 
usually  descended  from  heaven  with  the  Wahy  or  Inspiration. 


222  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

brass  gilt  or  burnished.  The  Munar  Bab  el  Rahmah,  about 
the  centre  of  the  western  wall,  is  of  more  simple  form  than 
the  others : it  has  two  galleries  with  the  superior  portion 
circular,  and  surmounted  by  the  comical  u extinguisher” 
roof  so  common  in  Turkey  and  Egypt.  On  the  north-east 
angle  of  the  mosque  stands  the  Sulaymaniyah  Munar,  so 
named  after  its  founder,  Sultan  Sulayman  the  Magnificent. 
It  is  a well-built  and  a substantial  stone  tower  divided  into 
three  stages;  the  two  lower  portions  are  polygonal,  the 
upper  one  circular,  and  each  terminates  in  a platform  with 
a railed  gallery  carried  all  round  for  the  protection  of  those 
who  ascend.  And  lastly,  from  the  south-east  angle  of  the 
mosque,  supposed  to  lie  upon  the  spot  where  Belal,  the 
Prophet’s  crier,  called  the  first  Moslems  to  prayer,*  springs 
the  Munar  Raisiyah,  so  called  because  it  is  appropriated  to 
the  Ruasa  or  chiefs  of  the  Muezzins.  Like  the  Sulamaniyah, 
it  consists  of  three  parts : the  first  and  second  stages  are 
polygonal,  and  the  third,  a circular  one,  is  furnished  like  the 
lower  two  with  a railed  gallery.  Both  the  latter  minarets 
end  in  solid  ovals  of  masonry,  from  which  project  a number 
of  wooden  triangles.f  To  these  and  to  the  galleries  on  all 
festive  occasions,  such  as  the  arrival  of  the  Damascus  cara- 
van, are  hung  oil  lamps — a poor  attempt  at  illumination, 
which  may  perhaps  rationally  explain  the  origin  of  the 
Medinite  superstition  concerning  the  column  of  light  which 
crowns  the  Prophet’s  tomb.  There  is  no  uniformity  in  the 
shape  or  the  size  of  these  four  minarets,  and  at  first  sight, 
despite  their  beauty  and  grandeur,  they  appear  somewhat 

* Belal,  the  loud-lunged  crier,  stood,  we  are  informed  by  Moslem 
historians,  upon  a part  of  the  roof  on  one  of  the  walls  of  the  mosque. 
The  minaret,  as  the  next  chapter  will  show,  was  the  invention  of  a more 
tasteful  age. 

f (As  on  all  the  minarets  of  Cairo.) 


THE  PORCHES  OF  THE  MOSQUE. 


223 


bizarre  and  misplaced.  But  after  a few  days  I found  that 
my  eye  grew  accustomed  to  them,  and  that  I had  no  diffi- 
culty in  appreciating  their  massive  proportions  and  lofty 
forms. 

Equally  irregular  are  the  Riwaks,  or  porches,  surround- 
ing the  hypsethral  court.  Along  the  northern  wall  there 
will  be,  when  finished,  a fine  colonnade  of  granite,  paved 
with  marble.  The  eastern  Riwak  has  three  rows  of  pillars, 
the  western  four,  and  the  southern,  under  which  stands  the 
tomb,  of  course  has  its  columns  ranged  deeper  than  all  the 
others.  These  supports  of  the  building  are  of  different 
material ; some  of  fine  marble,  others  of  rough  stone  merely 
plastered  over  and  painted  with  the  most  vulgar  of  ara- 
besques, vermillion  and  black  in  irregular  patches,  and  broad 
streaks  like  the  stage  face  of  a London  clown.*  Their  size 
moreover  is  different,  the  southern  colonnade  being  com- 
posed of  pillars  palpably  larger  than  those  in  the  other  parts 
of  the  mosque.  Scarcely  any  two  shafts  have  similar  capi- 
tals ; many  have  no  pedestal,  and  some  of  them  are  cut  with 
a painful  ignorance  of  art.  I cannot  extend  my  admiration 
of  the  minarets  to  the  columns — in  their  “ architectural  law- 
lessness” there  is  not  a redeeming  point. 

Of  these  unpraisable  pillars  three  are  celebrated  in  the 
annals  of  El  Islam,  for  which  reason  their  names  are  painted 
upon  them,  and  five  others  enjoy  the  honor  of  distinctive 
appellations.  The  first  is  called  El  Mukhallak,  because,  on 
some  occasion  of  impurity,  it  was  anointed  with  a perfume 
called  Khaluk.  It  is  near  the  Mihrab  el  Rabawi,  on  the 
right  of  the  place  where  the  Imam  prays,  and  notes  the  spot 
where,  before  the  invention  of  the  pulpit,  the  Prophet, 
leaning  upon  the  Ustuwanat  el  Hannanah — the  weeping 


* This  abomination  may  be  seen  in  Egypt  on  many  of  the  tombs,* 
those  outside  the  Bab  el  Nasr  at  Cairo,  for  instance. 


224  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

Pillar* — used  to  recite  the  Khutbah  or  Friday  sermon.  The 
second  stands  third  from  the  pulpit,  and  third  from  the 
Hujrah.  It  is  called  the  Pillar  of  Ayisha,  also  the  Ustu- 
wanat  el  Kurah,  or  the  column  of  Lots,  because  the  Prophet, 
according  to  the  testimony  of  his  favorite  wife,  declared  that 
if  men  knew  the  value  of  the  place,  they  would  cast  lots  to 
pray  there : in  some  books  it  is  known  as  the  pillar  of  the 
Muhajirin  or  Fugitives,  and  others  mention  it  as  El  Muk- 
hallak — the  Perfumed.  Twenty  cubits  distant  from  Ayisha’s 
pillar,  and  the  second  from  the  Hujrah,  and  the  fourth  from 
the  pulpit,  is  the  Pillar  of  Repentance,  or  of  Abu  Lubabah. 
It  derives  its  name  from  the  following  circumstance.  Abu 
Lubabah  was  a native  of  El  Medinah,  one  of  the  auxiliaries 
and  a companion  of  Mohammed,  originally  it  is  said  a Jew, 
according  to  others  of  the  Beni  Amr  ebn  Auf  of  the  Aus 
tribe.  Being  sent  for  by  his  kinsmen  or  his  allies,  the  Beni 
Kurayzah,  at  that  time  capitulating  to  Mohammed,  he  was 
consulted  by  the  distracted  tribe : men,  women  and  children 
threw  themselves  at  his  feet,  and  begged  of  him  to  inter- 
cede for  them  with  the  offended  Prophet.  Abu  Lubabah 
swore  he  would  do  so : at  the  same  time,  he  drew  his  hand 
across  his  throat,  as  much  as  to  say,  “ Defend  yourselves  to 
the  last,  for  if  you  yield,  such  is  your  doom.”  Afterwards 
repenting,  he  bound  himself  with  a huge  chain  to  the  date- 
tree  in  whose  place  the  column  now  stands,  vowing  to  con- 
tinue there  until  Allah  and  the  Prophet  accepted  his  peni- 
tence, a circumstance  which  did  not  take  place  till  the  tenth 
day,  when  his  hearing  was  gone  and  he  had  almost  lost  his 
sight.  The  less  celebrated  pillars  are  the  Ustuwanat  Sari,  or 
column  of  the  Cot,  where  the  Prophet  was  wont  to  sit  medi- 

* The  tale  of  this  weeping  pillar  is  well  known.  Some  suppose  it  to 
have  been  buried  beneath  the  pulpit : others — they  are  few  in  number 
— declare  that  it  was  inserted  in  the  body  of  the  pulpit. 


THE  GARDEN  OF  OUR  LADY  FATIMAH. 


225 


tating  on  his  humble  couch  of  date-sticks.  The  Ustuwanat  Ali 
notes  the  spot  where  the  fourth  caliph  used  to  pray  and  watch 
his  father-in-law  at  night.  At  the  Ustuwanat  el  Wufucl,  as 
its  name  denotes,  the  Prophet  received  envoys,  couriers,  and 
emissaries  from  foreign  places.  The  Ustuwanat  el  Tahajjud 
now  stands  where  Mohammed  sitting  upon  his  mat  passed 
the  night  in  prayer.  And  lastly  is  the  Makam  Jibrail 
(Gabriel’s  place),  for  whose  other  name,  Mirbaat  el  Bair, 
the  pole  of  the  beast  of  burden,”  I have  been  unable  to 
find  an  explanation. 

The  four  Riwaks,  or  porches,  of  the  Medinah  mosque 
open  upon  a hypsethral  court  of  parallelogrammic  shape. 
The  only  remarkable  object  in  it  * is  a square  of  wooden 
railing  enclosing  a place  full  of  well-watered  earth,  called 
the  Garden  of  our  Lady  Fatimah.f  It  now  contains  a 
dozen  date-trees — in  Ibn  Jubayr’s  time  there  were  fifteen. 
Their  fruit  is  sent  by  the  eunuchs  as  presents  to  the  Sultan 
and  the  great  men  of  the  Islam  ; it  is  highly  valued  by  the 
vulgar,  but  the  Ulema  do  not  think  much  of  its  claims  to 
importance.  Among  the  palms  are  the  venerable  remains 
of  a Sidr,  or  Lote  tree,  whose  producej  is  sold  for  inordinate 

* The  little  domed  building  which  figures  in  the  native  sketches 
and  in  all  our  prints  of  the  El  Medinah  mosque,  was  taken  down  three 
or  four  years  ago.  It  occupied  part  of  the  centre  of  the  square,  and 
was  called  Kubbat  el  Zayt — Dome  of  Oil — or  Kubbat  el  Shama — Dome 
of  Candles — from  its  use  as  a store-room  for  lamps  and  wax  candles. 

f This  is  its  name  among  the  illiterate,  who  firmly  believe  the  palms 
to  be  descendants  of  trees  planted  there  by  the  hands  of  the  Prophet’s, 
daughter.  As  far  as  I could  discover,  the  tradition  has  no  foundation, 
and  in  old  times  there  was  no  garden  in  the  hypsethral  court.  The 
vulgar  are  in  the  habit  of  eating  a certain  kind  of  date,  “ El  Say  hani,” 
in  the  mosque,  and  of  throwing  the  stones  about ; this  practice  is  vio- 
lently denounced  by  the  Ulema. 

\ Rhamnus  Nabeca  Forsk.  The  fruit,  called  Kebek,  is  eaten,  and 
the  leaves  are  used  for  the  purpose  of  washing  dead  bodies.  The  visitor 

10* 


226  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

sums.  The  enclosure  is  entered  by  a dwarf  gate  in  the 
south-eastern  portion  of  the  railing,  near  the  well,  and  one 
of  the  eunuchs  is  generally  to  be  seen  in  it : it  is  under  the 
charge  of  the  Mudir,  or  chief  treasurer.  These  gardens 
are  not  uncommon  in  Moslem  mosques,  as  the  traveller 
who  passes  through  Cairo  can  convince  himself.  They 
form  a pretty  and  an  appropriate  feature  in  a building 
erected  for  the  worship  of  Him  “who  spread  the  earth 
with  carpets  of  flowers  and  drew  shady  trees  from  the 
dead  ground.”  A tradition  of  the  Prophet  also  declares 
that  “acceptable  is  devotion  in  the  garden  and  in  the 
orchard.”  At  the  south-east  angle  of  the  enclosure,  under 
a wooden  roof  supported  by  pillars  of  the  same  material, 
stands  the  Zemzem,  generally  called  the  Bir  el  ISTabi,  or 
“the  Prophet’s  well.”  My  predecessor  declares  that  the 
brackishness  of  its  produce  has  stood  in  the  way  of  its 
reputation  for  holiness.  Yet  a well  educated  man  told  me 
that  it  was  as  “ light”  water*  as  any  in  El  Medinah, — a 
fact  which  he  accounted  for  by  supposing  a subterraneous 
passage  f which  connects  it  wfith  the  great  Zemzem  at 
Meccah.  Others,  again,  believe  that  it  is  filled  by  a vein 
of  water  springing  directly  under  the  Prophet’s  grave : 

is  not  forbidden  to  take  fruit  or  water  as  presents  from  El  Medinah,  but 
it  is  unlawful  for  him  to  carry  away  earth,  or  stones,  or  cakes  of  dust, 
made  for  sale  to  the  ignorant. 

* The  Arabs,  who,  like  all  Orientals,  are  exceedingly  curious  about 
water,  take  the  trouble  to  weigh  the  produce  of  their  wells ; the  lighter 
the  water,  the  more  digestible  and  wholesome  it  is  considered. 

f The  common  phenomenon  of  rivers  flowing  underground  in  Arabia 
has,  doubtless,  suggested  to  the  people  these  subterraneous  passages, 
with  which  they  connect  the  most  distant  places.  At  El  Medinah, 
amongst  other  tales  of  short  cuts  known  only  to  certain  Bedouin  fami- 
lies, a man  told  me  of  a shaft  leading  from  his  native  city  to  Hadra- 
maut : according  to  him,  it  existed  in  the  times  of  the  Prophet,  and  was 
a journey  of  only  three  days! 


MANNER  OF  LEAVING  THE  MOSQUE. 


227 


generally,  however,  among  the  learned  it  is  not  more 
revered  than  our  Lady’s  Garden,  nor  is  it  ranked  in  books 
among  the  holy  wells  of  El  Medinah.  Between  this  Zem- 
zem  and  the  eastern  Riwak  is  the  Stoa,  or  academia,  of  the 
Prophet’s  city.  In  the  cool  mornings  and  evenings  the 
ground  is  strewed  with  professors,  who  teach,  as  an  eminent 
orientalist  hath  it,  the  young  idea  to  shout  rather  than  to 
shoot.*  A few  feet  to  the  south  of  the  palm  garden  is  a 
movable  wooden  planking  painted  green,  and  about  three 
feet  high ; it  serves  to  separate  the  congregation  from  the 
Imam  when  he  prays  here ; and  at  the  north-eastern  angle 
of  the  enclosure  is  a Shajar  Kanadil,  a large  brass  chande- 
lier, which  completes  the  furniture  of  the  court. 

After  this  inspection,  the  shadows  of  evening  began  to 
gather  round  us.  We  left  the  mosque,  reverently  taking 
care  to  issue  forth  with  the  left  foot,  and  not  to  back  out 
of  it  as  in  the  Sunnat,  or  practice  derived  from  the  Prophet, 
when  taking  leave  of  the  Meccan  mosque. 

To  conclude  this  long  chapter.  Although  every  Moslem, 
learned  and  simple,  firmly  believes  that  Mohammed’s 
remains  are  interred  in  the  Hujrah  at  El  Medinah,  I cannot 
help  suspecting  that  the  place  is  at  least  as  doubtful  as  that 
of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  at  Jerusalem.  It  must  be  remem- 
bered that  a great  tumult  followed  the  announcement  of 
the  Prophet’s  death,  when  the  people,  as  often  happens, f 

* Tlie  Mosque  Library  is  kept  in  large  chests  near  the  Bab  el  Salam ; 
the  only  MS.  of  any  value  here  is  a Koran  written  in  the  Sulsi  hand. 
It  is  nearly  four  feet  long,  bound  in  a wooden  cover,  and  padlocked,  so 
as  to  require  from  the  curious  a " silver  key.” 

t So  the  peasants  in  Brittany  believe  that  Napoleon  the  First  is  not 
yet  dead ; the  Prussians  expect  Frederick  the  Second ; the  Swiss, 
William  Tell;  the  older  English,  King  Arthur;  and  certain  modern 
fanatics  look  forward  to  the  re-appearance  of  Joanna  Southcote.  Why 
multiply  instances  in  so  well  known  a branch  of  the  history  of  popular 
superstitions  ? 


228  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

believing  him  to  be  immortal,  refused  to  credit  the  report, 
and  even  Omar  threatened  destruction  to  any  one  that 
asserted  it.  Moreover  the  body  was  scarcely  cold  when 
the  contest  about  the  succession  arose  between  the  fugitives 
of  Meccah  and  the  auxiliaries  of  El  Medinah  : in  the  ardor 
of  which,  according  to  the  Shiahs,  the  house  of  Ali  and 
Fatimah, — within  a few  feet  of  the  spot  where  the  tomb  of 
the  Prophet  is  now  placed — was  threatened  with  fire,  and 
that  Abubekr  was  elected  caliph  that  same  evening.  If 
any  one  find  cause  to  wonder  that  the  last  resting-place  of 
a personage  so  important  was  not  fixed  for  ever,  he  may 
find  many  a parallel  case  in  El  Medinah.  To  quote  no 
other,  three  places  claim  the  honor  of  containing  the  Lady 
Fatimah’s  mortal  spoils,  although  one  might  suppose  that 
the  daughter  of  a Prophet  and  the  mother  of  the  Imams 
would  not  be  laid  in  an  unknown  grave.  My  reasons  for 
incredulity  are  the  following  : 

1.  From  the  earliest  days  the  shape  of  the  Prophet’s 
tomb  has  never  been  generally  known  in  El  Islam.  For 
this  reason  it  is  that  graves  are  made  convex  in  some 
countries,  and  flat  in  others:  had  there  been  a Sunnat,* 
this  would  not  have  been  the  case. 

2.  The  discrepant  accounts  of  the  learned.  El  Saman- 
hudi,  perhaps  the  highest  authority,  contradicts  himself. 
In  one  place  he  describes  the  coffin ; in  another  he  expressly 
declares  that  he  entered  the  Hujrah  when  it  was  being 
repaired  by  Kaid-bey,  and  saw  in  the  inside  three  deep 
graves,  but  no  traces  of  tombs,  f Either,  then,  the  mortal 

* The  Sunnat  is  the  custom  or  practice  of  the  Prophet,  rigidly  con- 
formed to  by  every  good  and  orthodox  Moslem. 

f The  reader  will  bear  in  mind  that  I am  quoting  from  Burckhardt. 
When  in  El  Hejaz  and  at  Cairo,  I vainly  endeavored  to  buy  a copy  of 
El  Samanhudi.  One  was  shown  to  me  at  El  Medinah ; unhappily,  it 
boro  the  word  Wakf  (bequeathed),  and  belonged  to  the  mosque.  I was 
scarcely  allowed  time  to  read  it. 


FURTHER  INVESTIGATION  DESIRABLE. 


229 


remains  of  the  Prophet  had — despite  Moslem  superstition* 
— mingled  with  the  dust  (a  probable  circumstance  after 
nearly  900  years’  interment),  or,  what  is  more  likely,  they 
had  been  removed  by  the  Shiah  schismatics  who  for  centu- 
ries had  charge  of  the  sepulchre. 

3.  And  lastly,  I cannot  but  look  upon  the  tale  of  the 
blinding  light  which  surrounds  the  Prophet’s  tomb,  and  now 
universally  believed  upon  the  authority  of  the  attendant 
eunuchs,  who  must  know  its  falsehood,  as  a priestly  gloss 
intended  to  conceal  a defect. 

I here  conclude  the  subject,  committing  it  to  some  future 
and  more  favored  investigator.  In  offering  the  above 
remarks,  I am  far  from  wishing  to  throw  a doubt  upon  an 
established  point  of  history.  But  where  a suspicion  of  fable 
arises  from  popular  “ facts,”  a knowledge  of  man  and  of  his 
manners  teaches  us  to  regard  it  with  favoring  eye. 

* In  Moslem  law,  prophets,  martyrs,  and  saints,  are  not  supposed  to 
be  dead;  their  property,  therefore,  remains  their  own.  The  Ulema 
have  confounded  themselves  in  the  consideration  of  the  prophetic  state 
after  death.  Many  declare  that  prophets  live  and  pray  for  forty  days 
in  the  tomb ; at  the  expiration  of  which  time,  they  are  taken  to  the 
presence  of  their  Maker,  where  they  remain  till  the  last  blast  of  Israfil’s 
trumpet.  The  common  belief,  however,  leaves  the  bodies  in  the  graves, 
but  no  one  would  dare  to  assert  that  the  holy  ones  are  suffered  to  under- 
go corruption.  On  the  contrary,  their  faces  are  blooming,  their  eyes 
bright,  and  blood  would  issue  from  their  bodies  if  wounded. 

El  Islam,  as  will  afterwards  appear,  abounds  in  traditions  of  the 
ancient  tombs  of  saints  and  martyrs,  when  accidentally  opened,  ex- 
posing to  view  corpses  apparently  freshly  buried.  And  it  has  come  to 
pass  that  this  fact,  the  result  of  sanctity,  has  now  become  an  unerring 
indication  of  it.  A remarkable  case  in  point  is  that  of  the  late  Sherif 
Ghalib,  the  father  of  the  present  prince  of  Meccah.  In  his  lifetime  he 
was  reviled  as  a tyrant.  But  some  years  after  his  death,  his  body  was 
found  undecomposed ; he  then  became  a saint,  and  men  now  pray  at 
his  tomb.  Perhaps  his  tyranny  was  no  drawback  to  his  holy  reputation. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


EL  MEDINAH.* 

It  is  equally  difficult  to  define,  politically  or  geographically, 
the  limits  of  El  Hejaz.  Whilst  some  authors  fix  its  north- 
ern frontier  at  Aylah  and  the  Desert,  making  Yemen  its 
southern  limit,  others  include  in  it  only  the  tract  of  land 
lying  between  Meccah  and  El  Medinah.  As  the  country 
has  no  natural  boundaries,  and  its  political  limits  change 
with  every  generation,  perhaps  the  best  distribution  of  its 
frontier  would  be  that  which  includes  all  the  properly  called 
Holy  Land,  making  Yambu  the  northern  and  Jeddah  the 
southern  extremes,  while  a line  drawn  through  El  Medinah, 
Suwayrkiyah,  and  J ebel  Kora,  the  mountain  of  Taif,  might 
represent  its  eastern  boundary.  Thus  El  Hejaz  would  be 
an  irregular  parallelogram,  about  250  miles  in  length,  with 
a maximum  breadth  of  150  miles.  Two  meanings  are 
assigned  to  the  name  of  this  region ; according  to  most 

* Amongst  a people  who,  like  the  Arabs  or  the  Spaniards,  hold  a 
plurality  of  names  to  be  a sign  of  dignity,  so  illustrious  a spot  as  El 
Medinah  could  not  fail  to  be  rich  in  nomenclature.  A Hadis  declares, 
“ to  El  Medinah  belong  ten  names books,  however,  enumerate  nearly 
a hundred. 


231 


THE  SPACE  OCCUPIED  BY  “ SANCTUARY.” 

authorities,  it  means  the  “ Separator,”  or  “ Barrier,”  between 
ISTejd  and  Tehamah  ;*  according  to  others,  the  u colligated,” 
(by  mountains). 

Medinat  el  Nabi,  the  Prophet’s  City,  or,  as  it  is  usually 
called  for  brevity,  El  Medinah,  the  City,  is  situated  on  the 
borders  of  Nejd,  upon  the  vast  plateau  of  high  land  which 
forms  central  Arabia.  The  limits  of  the  sanctuary  called 
the  Hudud  el  Haram,  as  defined  by  the  Prophet,  may  still 
serve  to  mark  out  the  city’s  plain.  Northwards,  at  a dis- 
tance of  about  three  miles,  is  Jebel  Ohod,  or,  according  to 
others,  Jebel  Saur,  a hill  somewhat  beyond  Ohod;  these 
are  the  last  ribs  of  the  vast  primitive  and  graniticf  chine 
that,  extending  from  Lebanon  to  near  Aden,  and  from  Aden 
again  to  Muscat,  fringes  the  Arabian  trapezium.  To  the 
S.W.  the  plain  is  bounded  by  ridges  of  scoriaceous  basalt, 
and  by  a buttress  of  rock  called  Jebel  Ayr,  like  Ohod, 
about  three  miles  distant  from  the  town.  Westward,  accord- 
ing to  some  authors,  is  the  Mosque  Zu’l  Halifah.  On  the 
east  there  are  no  natural  landmarks,  or  even  artificial,  like 
the  “ Alamain”  at  Meccah  ; an  imaginary  line,  therefore,  is 
drawn,  forming  an  irregular  circle,  of  which  the  town  is  the 
centre,  with  a diameter  of  from  ten  to  twelve  miles.  Such 
is  the  sanctuary.J  Geographically  considered,  the  plain  is 
bounded,  on  the  east,  by  a thin  line  of  low  dark  hills,  tra- 

* Or,  according  to  others,  between  Yemen  and  Syria. 

f Such  is  its  formation  in  El  Hejaz. 

;£  Within  the  sanctuary  all  Muharramat,  or  sins,  are  forbidden  ; but  the 
several  schools  advocate  different  degrees  of  strictness.  The  Imam 
Malik,  for  instance,  allows  no  latrince  nearer  to  El  Medinah  than  Jebel 
Ayr,  a distance  of  about  three  miles.  He  also  forbids  slaying  wild 
animals,  but  at  the  same  time  he  specifies  no  punishment  for  the  offence. 
Some  do  not  allow  the  felling  of  trees,  alleging  that  the  Prophet  en- 
joined their  preservation  as  an  ornament  to  the  city,  and  a pleasure  to 
visitors.  El  Khattabi,  on  the  contrary,  permits  people  to  cut  wood,  and 
this  is  certainly  the  general  practice.  All  authors  strenuously  forbid 


232  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

versed  by  the  Darb  el  Sharki,  or  the  “ eastern  road,”  through 
Nejd  to  Meccah : southwards,  the  plateau  is  open,  and 
almost  perfectly  level  as  far  as  the  eye  can  see. 

El  Medinah  dates  its  origin  doubtless  from  ancient  times, 
and  the  cause  of  its  prosperity  is  evident  in  the  abun- 
dant supply  of  a necessary  generally  scarce  in  Arabia.  The 
formation  of  the  plain  is  in  some  places  salt  sand,  but  usu- 
ally a white  chalk,  and  a loamy  clay,  which  even  by  the 
roughest  manipulation  makes  tolerable  bricks.  Lime  also 
abounds.  The  town  is  situated  upon  a gently  shelving  part 
of  the  plain,  the  lowest  portion  of  which,  to  judge  from  the 
water-shed,  is  at  the  southern  base  of  Mount  Ohod,  hence 
called  El  Safilah,  and  the  Awali,  or  plains  about  Kuba,  and 
the  East.  Water  is  abundant,  though  rarely  of  good  quali- 
ty. In  the  days  of  the  Prophet,  the  Madani  consumed  the 
produce  of  wells,  seven  of  which  are  still  celebrated  by  the 

within  the  boundaries  slaying  man  (except  invaders,  infidels,  and  the 
sacrilegious),  drinking  spirits,  and  leading  an  immoral  life. 

As  regards  the  dignity  of  the  sanctuary,  there  is  but  one  opinion  ; a 
number  of  Hadis  testify  to  its  honor, 'praise  its  people,  and  threaten 
dreadful  things  to  those  who  injure  it  or  them.  It  is  certain  that  on  the 
last  day,  the  Prophet  will  intercede  for,  and  aid,  all  those  who  die,  and 
are  buried,  at  El  Medinah.  Therefore,  the  Imam  Malik  made  but  one 
pilgrimage  to  Meccah,  fearing  to  leave  his  bones  in  any  other  cemetery 
but  El  Bakia.  There  is,  however,  much  debate  concerning  the  compara- 
tive sanctity  of  El  Medinah  and  Meccah.  Some  say  Mohammed  prefer- 
red the  former,  blessing  it  as  Abraham  did  Meccah.  Moreover,  as  a 
tradition  declares  that  every  man’s  body  is  drawn  from  the  dust  of  the 
ground  in  which  he  is  buried,  El  Medinah,  it  is  evident,  had  the  honor 
of  supplying  materials  for  the  Prophet’s  person.  Others,  like  Omar, 
were  uncertain  in  favor  of  which  city  to  decide.  Others  openly  assert 
the  pre-eminence  of  Meccah ; the  general  consensus  of  El  Islam  prefer- 
ring El  Medinah  to  Meccah,  save  only  the  Bait  Allah  in  the  latter  city. 
This  last  is  a juste-milieu  view,  by  no  means  in  favor  with  the  inhabit- 
ants of  either  place.  In  the  meanwhile  the  Meccans  claim  unlimited 
superiority  over  the  Madani ; the  Madani  over  the  Meccans. 


THE  WINTER  AT  EL  MEDINAH  RIGOROUS. 


233 


people.  Historians  relate  that  Omar,  the  second  Caliph, 
provided  the  town  with  drinking-water  from  the  northern 
parts  of  the  plains  by  means  of  an  aqueduct.  The  modern 
city  is  supplied  by  a source  called  the  Ayn  El  Zarka  or 
Azure  spring.  During  my  stay  at  El  Medinah,  I always 
drank  this  water,  which  appeared  to  me,  as  the  citizens 
declared  it  to  be,  sweet  and  wholesome.  There  are  many 
wells  in  the  town,  as  water  is  found  at  about  20  feet  below 
the  surface  of  the  soil,  but  few  of  them  produce  anything  fit 
for  drinking,  some  being  salt,  and  others  bitter.  As  is  usual 
in  the  hilly  countries  of  the  East,  the  wide  beds  and  fiumaras, 
even  in  the  dry  season,  will  supply  the  travellers  for  a day 
or  two  with  an  abundance  of  water,  infiltrated  into,  and,  in 
some  cases,  flowing  beneath  the  sand. 

The  climate  of  the  plain  is  celebrated  for  a long  and 
comparatively  speaking  rigorous  winter ; a popular  saying 
records  the  opinion  of  the  Prophet  “ that  he  who  patiently 
endures  the  cold  of  El  Medinah  and  the  heat  of  Meccah, 
merits  a reward  in  Paradise.”  Ice  is  not  seen  in  the  town, 
but  may  frequently  be  met  with,  it  is  said,  on  Jebel  Ohod ; 
fires  are  lighted  in  the  houses  during  winter,  and  palsies 
attack  those  who  at  this  season  imprudently  bathe  in  cold 
water.  The  fair  complexions  of  the  people  prove  that  this 
account  of  the  wintry  rigors  is  not  exaggerated. 

And  the  European  reader  will  observe  that  the  Arabs 
generally  reckon  three  seasons,  including  our  autumn  in  their 
summer.  The  hot  weather  at  El  Medinah  appeared  to  me 
as  extreme  as  the  wintry  cold  is  described  to  be,  but  the  air 
was  dry,  and  the  open  plain  prevented  the  faint  stagnant 
sultriness  which  distinguishes  Meccah.  Moreover,  though 
the  afternoons  were  close,  the  nights  and  the  mornings  were 
cool  and  dewy.  At  this  season  of  the  year  the  citizens  sleep 
on  the  house-tops,  or  on  the  ground  outside  their  doors. 
Strangers  must  follow  this  example  with  circumspection ; the 


234  A PILGKIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

open  air  is  safe  in  the  Desert,  but  in  cities  it  causes  to  the 
unaccustomed  violent  colds  and  febrile  affections. 

I collected  the  following  notes  upon  the  diseases  and 
medical  treatment  of  the  northern  Hejaz.  El  Medinah  has 
been  visited  four  times  by  the  Rih  el  Asfar,*  or  Cholera 
Morbus,  which  is  said  to  have  committed  great  ravages, 
sometimes  carrying  off  whole  households.  In  the  Rah- 
mat  el  Kabirah,  the  u Great  Mercy,”  as  the  worst  attack  is 
jnously  called,  whenever  a man  vomited,  he  was  abandoned 
to  his  fate ; before  that  he  was  treated  with  mint,  lime-juice, 
and  copious  draughts  of  coffee.  It  is  still  the  boast  of  El 
Medinah  that  the  Taun  or  plague  has  never  passed  their 
frontier.  The  Judari,  or  small-pox,  appears  to  be  indigenous 
to  the  countries  bordering  upon  the  Red  Sea ; we  read  of 
it  there  in  the  earliest  works  of  the  Arabs,  and  even  to  the 
present  day  it  sometimes  sweeps  through  Arabia  and  the 
Somali  country  with  desolating  violence.  In  the  town  of 
El  Medinah  it  is  fatal  to  children,  many  of  whom,  how- 
ever, are  in  these  days  inoculated : f amongst  the  Be- 
douins old  men  die  of  it,  but  adults  are  rarely  victims, 
either  in  the  city  or  in  the  desert.  The  nurse  closes  up  the 
room  during  the  day,  and  carefully  excludes  the  night-air, 
believing  that,  as  the  disease  is  “hot,”J  a breath  of  wind 
would  kill  the  patient.  During  the  hours  of  darkness,  a 
lighted  candle  or  lamp  is  always  placed  by  the  side  of  the 

* Properly  meaning  the  yellow  wind  or  air ; the  antiquity  of  the 
word  and  its  origin  are  still  disputed. 

\ In  Yemen,  we  are  told  by  Niebuhr,  a rude  form  of  inoculation — 
the  mother  pricking  the  child’s  arm  with  a thorn — has  been  known  from 
time  immemorial.  My  Medinah  friend  assured  me  that  only  during  the 
last  generation,  this  practice  has  been  introduced  amongst  the  Bedouins 
of  El  Hejaz. 

\ Orientals  divide  their  diseases,  as  they  do  remedies  and  articles  of 
diet,  into  hot,  cold,  and  temperate. 


OPHTHALMIA  IN  EGYPT  AND  SINDH. 


235 


bed,  or  the  sufferer  would  die  of  madness,  brought  on  by 
evil  spirits  or  fright.  Sheep’s-wool  is  burnt  in  the  sick  room, 
as  death  would  follow  the  inhaling  of  any  perfume.  The 
only  remedy  I have  heard  of  is  pounded  Kohl  (anti- 
mony) drunk  in  water,  and  the  same  is  drawn  along  the 
breadth  of  the  eyelid,  to  prevent  blindness.  The  diet 
is  lentils  and  a peculiar  kind  of  date,  called  Tamr  el 
Birni.  On  the  21st  day,  the  patient  is  washed  with  salt 
and  tepid  water.  Ophthalmia  is  rare.*  In  the  summer, 

* Herodotus  (Euterpe)  has  two  allusions  to  eye  disease,  which  seems 
to  have  afflicted  the  Egyptians  from  the  most  ancient  times.  Sesostris 
the  Great  died  stone-blind ; his  successor  lost  his  sight  for  ten  years,  and 
the  Hermaic  books  had  reason  to  devote  a whole  volume  to  ophthalmic 
disease.  But  in  the  old  days  of  idolatry,  the  hygienic  and  prophylactic 
practices  alluded  to  by  Herodotus,  the  greater  cleanliness  of  the  people, 
and  the  attention  paid  to  the  canals  and  drainage,  probably  prevented 
this  malarious  disease  becoming  the  scourge  which  it  is  now. 

The  similarity  of  the  soil  and  the  climate  of  Egypt  to  that  of  Upper 
Sindh,  and  the  prevalence  of  the  complaint  in  both  countries,  assist  us 
in  investigating  the  predisposing  causes.  These  are,  the  nitrous  and 
pungent  nature  of  the  soil — what  the  old  Greek  calls  “ acrid  matter 
exuding  from  the  earth,” — and  the  sudden  transition  from  extreme  dry- 
ness to  excessive  damp  checking  the  invisible  perspiration  of  the  circum- 
orbital  parts,  and  flying  to  an  organ  which  is  already  weakened  by  the 
fierce  glare  of  the  sun,  and  the  fine  dust  raised  by  the  Khamsin  or  the 
Chaliho.  Glare  and  dust  alone  seldom  cause  eye  disease.  Every  one 
knows  that  ophthalmia  is  unknown  in  the  desert,  and  the  people  of  El 
Hejaz,  who  live  in  an  atmosphere  of  blaze  and  sand,  seldom  lose  their 
sight. 

The  Egyptian  usually  catches  ophthalmia  in  his  childhood.  It  begins 
with  simple  conjunctivitis,  caused  by  constitutional  predisposition,  expo- 
sure, diet,  and  allowing  the  eye  to  be  covered  with  swarms  of  flies.  He 
neglects  the  early  symptoms,  and  cares  the  less  for  being  a Cyclops,  as 
the  infirmity  will  most  probably  exempt  him  from  military  service. 
Presently  the  same  organ  becomes  affected  sympathetically.  As  before# 
simple  disease  of  the  conjunctiva  passes  into  purulent  ophthalmia.  The 
man,  after  waiting  a while,  will  go  to  the  doctor  and  show  a large  cica- 


238  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

quotidian  and  tertian  fevers  (Hummah  Salis)  are  not  un- 
common, and  if  accompanied  by  vomitings,  they  are  fre- 
quently fatal.  The  attack  generally  begins  with  the  Kaffa- 
zah,  or  cold  fit,  and  is  followed  by  El  Hummah,  the  hot 
stage.  The  principal  remedies  are  cooling  drinks,  and  syrups. 
After  the  fever  the  face  and  body  frequently  swell,  and 
indurated  lumps  appear  in  the  legs  and  stomach.  Jaundice 
and  bilious  complaints  are  common,  and  the  former  is  popu- 
larly cured  in  a peculiar  way.  The  sick  man  looks  into  a pot 
full  of  water,  whilst  the  exorciser,  reciting  a certain  spell, 
draws  the  heads  of  two  needles  from  the  patient’s  ears  along 
his  eyes,  down  his  face,  lastly  dipping  them  into  water,  which 
at  once  becomes  yellow.  Others  have  “ Mirayat,”  magic 
mirrors,*  on  which  the  patient  looks,  and  loses  the  complaint. 
Dysenteries  frequently  occur  in  the  fruit  season,  when  the 
greedy  Arabs  devour  all  manner  of  unripe  peaches,  grapes, 
and  pomegranates.  Hydrophobia  is  rare,  and  the  people 
have  many  superstitions  about  it.  They  suppose  that  a bit 
of  meat  falls  from  the  sky,  and  that  the  dog  who  eats  it 
becomes  mad.  I was  assured  by  respectable  persons,  that 
when  a man  is  bitten,  they  shut  him  up  with  food,  in  a soli- 
tary chamber,  for  four  days,  and  that  if  at  the  end  of  that 
time  he  still  howls  like  a dog,  they  expel  the  Ghul  (Devil) 

trix  in  each  eye,  the  result  of  an  ulcerated  cornea.  Physic  can  do  no- 
thing for  him  ; he  remains  blind  for  life.  He  is  now  provided  for,  either 
by  living  with  his  friends,  who  seldom  refuse  him  a loaf  of  bread,  or  if 
industriously  inclined,  by  begging,  by  acting  Muezzin,  or  by  engaging 
himself  as  “ Yemeniyah,”  or  chaunter,  at  funerals.  His  children  are 
thus  predisposed  to  the  paternal  complaint,  and  gradually  the  race  be- 
comes tender-eyed.  Most  travellers  have  observed  that  imported  African 
slaves  seldom  become  blind  either  in  Egypt  or  in  Sindh. 

* This  invention  dates  from  the  most  ancient  times,  and  both  in  the 
East  and  the  West  has  been  used  by  the  weird  brotherhood  to  produce 
the  appearance  of  the  absent  and  the  dead,  to  discover  treasure,  to  detect 
thieves,  to  cure  disease,  and  to  learn  the  secrets  of  the  unknown  world. 


TREATMENT  OF  WOUNDS  AND  CHRONIC  DISEASES.  237 

from  him,  by  pouring  over  him  boiling  water  mixed  with 
ashes — a certain  cure  I can  easily  believe.  The  only  descrip- 
tion of  leprosy  known  in  El  Hejaz  is  that  called  “ Baras ;” 
it  appears  in  white  patches  on  the  skin,  seldom  attacks  any 
but  the  poorer  classes,  and  is  considered  incurable.  W ounds 
are  treated  by  Marham,  or  ointments,  especially  the  Balesan, 
or  Balsam  of  Meccah ; a cloth  is  tied  round  the  limb,  and 
not  removed  till  the  wound  heals,  which  amongst  this  people 
of  simple  life  generally  takes  place  by  first  intention.  There 
is,  however,  the  greatest  prejudice  against  allowing  water 
to  touch  a wound  or  a sore. 

By  the  above  short  account  it  will  be  seen  that  the 
Arabs  are  no  longer  the  most  skilful  physicians  in  the  world. 
They  have,  however,  one  great  advantage  in  their  practice, 
and  are  sensible  enough  to  make  free  use  of  it.  As  the  chil- 
dren of  almost  all  respectable  citizens  are  brought  up  in  the 
Desert,  the  camp  becomes  to  them  a native  village.  In  all 
cases  of  severe  wounds  or  chronic  diseases,  the  patient  is 
ordered  off  to  the  black  tents,  where  he  fives  as  a Bedouin, 
drinking  camels’  milk,  a diet  highly  cathartic,  for  the  first 
three  or  four  days,  and  doing  nothing.  This  has  been  the 
practice  from  time  immemorial  in  Arabia,  whereas  Europe 
is  only  beginning  to  systematise  the  adhibition  of  air,  exer- 
cise, and  simple  living.  And  even  now  we  are  obliged  to 
veil  it  under  the  garb  of  charlatanry — to  call  it  a “ milk- 
cure”  in  Switzerland,  a “ water-cure”  in  Silesia,  a “ grape- 
cure”  in  France,  a “ hunger-cure”  in  Germany,  and  other 
sensible  names  which  act  as  dust  in  the  public  eyes. 

El  Medinah  consists  of  three  parts, — a town,  a fort,  and 
a suburb  little  smaller  than  the  body  of  the  place.  The  town 
itself  is  about  one-third  larger  than  Suez,  or  about  half  the 
size  of  Meccah.  It  is  a walled  enclosure  forming  an  irre- 
gular oval  with  four  gates.  The  eastern  gates  are  fine 
massive  buildings,  with  double  towers  close  together,  painted 


238  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAII  AND  MECCAH. 

with  broad  bands  of  red,  yellow,  and  other  colors.*  In  their 
shady  and  well-watered  interiors,  soldiers  find  room  to  keep 
guard,  camel-men  dispute,  and  numerous  idlers  congregate, 
to  enjoy  the  luxuries  of  coolness  and  companionship.  Beyond 
this  gate,  in  the  street  leading  to  the  mosque,  is  the  great 
bazaar.  Outside  it  lie  the  Suk  el  Khuzayriyah,  or  green- 
grocers’ market,  and  the  Suk  el  Habbabah,  or  the  grain 
bazaar,  with  a fair  sprinkling  of  coffee-houses.  These  mar- 
kets are  long  masses  of  palm-leaf  huts,  blackened  in  the  sun 
and  wind,  of  a mean  and  squalid  appearance,  detracting 
greatly  from  the  appearance  of  the  gate.  Amongst  them 
there  is  a little  domed  and  whitewashed  building,  which  I 
was  told  is  a Sabil  or  public  fountain.  In  the  days  of  the 
Prophet  the  town  was  not  walled.  Now,  the  enceinte  is  in 
excellent  condition.  The  walls  are  well  built  of  granite  and 
lava  blocks,  in  regular  layers,  cemented  with  lime ; they  are 
provided  with  long  loopholes,  and  trefoil-shaped  crenelles : 
in  order  to  secure  a flanking  fire,  semicircular  towers,  also 
loopholed  and  crenellated,  are  disposed  in  the  curtain  at 
short  and  irregular  intervals.  Inside,  the  streets  are  what 
they  always  should  be  in  these  torrid  lands,  deep,  dark,  and 
narrow,  in  few  places  paved — a thing  to  be  deprecated — and 
generally  covered  with  black  earth  well  watered  and  trodden 
to  hardness.  The  most  considerable  lines  radiate  towards 
the  mosques.  There  are  few  public  buildings.  The  houses 
are  well  built  for  the  East,  flat-roofed  and  double-storied ; 
the  materials  generally  used  are  a basaltic  scoria,  burnt  brick 
and  palm  wood.  The  best  of  them  enclose  spacious  court- 
yards and  small  gardens  with  wells,  where  water  basins  and 
date  trees  gladden  the  owners’  eyes.  The  latticed  balco- 
nies, first  seen  by  the  European  traveller  at  Alexandria,  are 

* They  may  be  compared  to  the  gateway  towers  of  the  old  Norman 
castles — Arques,  for  instance. 


THE  CASTLE  OF  EL  MEDINAH. 


239 


here  common,  and  the  windows  are  mere  apertures  in  the 
walls,  garnished,  as  usual  in  Arab  cities,  with  a shutter  of 
planking.  El  Medinah  fell  rapidly  under  the  Wahhabis,  but 
after  their  retreat,  it  soon  rose  again,  and  now  it  is  probably 
as  comfortable  and  flourishing  a little  city  as  any  to  be  found 
in  the  East.  It  contains  between  fifty  and  sixty  streets, 
including  the  alleys  and  culs  de  sac.  There  is  about  the 
same  number  of  Harat  or  quarters.  Within  the  town  few 
houses  are  in  a dilapidated  condition.  The  best  authorities 
estimate  the  number  of  habitations  at  about  1500  within  the 
enceinte,  and  those  in  the  suburb  at  1000.  I consider  both 
accounts  exaggerated ; the  former  might  contain  800,  and 
the  Munakhah  perhaps  500 ; at  the  same  time  I must  con- 
fess not  to  have  counted  them,  and  Captain  Sadlier  (in  a.i>. 
1819)  declares  that  the  Turks,  who  had  just  made  a kind  of 
census,  reckoned  6000  houses  and  a population  of  8,000 
souls.  Assuming  the  population  to  be  16,000  (Burckhardt 
estimates  it  as  high  as  20,000),  of  which  9000  occupy  the 
city,  and  7000  the  suburbs  and  fort,  this  would  give  little 
more  than  twelve  inhabitants  to  each  house  (taking  the  total 
number  at  1,300),  a fair  estimate  for  an  Arab  town,  where 
the  abodes  are  large  and  slaves  abound. 

The  castle  joins  on  to  the  N.W.  angle  of  the  city  en- 
ceinte, and  the  wall  of  its  eastern  outwork  is  pierced  for  a 
communication  between  the  Munakhah  Suburb,  through  a 
court  strewed  wdth  guns  and  warlike  apparatus,  and  the 
Bab  el  Shami,  or  the  Syrian  Gate.  Having  been  refused 
entrance  into  the  fort,  I can  describe  only  its  exterior.  The 
outer  wall  resembles  that  of  the  city,  only  its  towers  are 
more  solid,  and  the  curtain  appears  better  calculated  for 
work.  Inside,  a donjon,  built  upon  a rock,  bears  proudly 
enough  the  banner  of  the  crescent  and  the  star ; its  white- 
washed walls  make  it  a conspicuous  object,  and  guns 
pointed  in  all  directions,  especially  upon  the  town,  project 


240  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINA!!  AND  MECCAH. 

from  their  embrasures.  The  castle  is  said  to  contain  wells, 
bomb  proofs,  provisions,  and  munitions  of  war;  if  so,  it 
must  be  a kind  of  Gibraltar  to  the  Bedouins  and  the  Wah- 
habis. The  garrison  consisted  of  a Nisf  Urtah,  or  half 
battalion  (400  men)  of  Nizam  infantry,  commanded  by  a 
Pacha;  his  authority  also  extends  to  a Sanjak,  or  about 
500  Kurdish  and  Albanian  irregular  cavalry,  whose  duty 
it  is  to  escort  caravans,  to  convey  treasures,  and  to  be  shot 
in  the  passes. 

The  suburbs  lie  to  the  S.  and  W.  of  the  town.  West- 
wards, between  El  Medinah  and  its  faubourg,  lies  the  plain 
of  El  Munakhah,  about  three  quarters  of  a mile  long,  by 
300  yards  broad.  The  straggling  suburbs  occupy  more 
ground  than  the  city ; fronting  the  enceinte  they  are  with- 
out walls ; towards  the  west,  where  open  country  lies,  they 
are  enclosed  by  mud  or  raw  brick  ramparts,  with  little 
round  towers,  all  falling  to  decay.  A number  of  small 
gates  lead  from  the  suburb  into  the  country.  The  suburb 
contains  no  buildings  of  any  consequence,  except  the  official 
residence  of  the  governor,  a plain  building  near  the  Barr 
el  Munakhah,  and  the  Five  Mosques,  which  every  Zair  is 
expected  to  visit.  They  are 

1.  The  Prophet’s  mosque  in  the  Munakhah. 

2.  Abubekr’s,  near  the  Ayn  el  Zarka. 

3.  Ali’s  mosque  in  the  Zukak  el  Tayyar  of  the  Munak- 
hah. 

4.  Omar’s  mosque. 

5.  Balal’s  mosque,  celebrated  in  books;  I did  not  see  it, 
and  some  Madani  assured  me  that  it  no  longer  exists. 

A description  of  one  of  these  buildings  will  suffice,  for 
they  are  all  similar.  Mohammed’s  mosque  in  the  Munak- 
hah stands  upon  a spot  formerly  occupied,  some  say,  by 
the  Jami  Ghamamali.  Others  believe  it  to  be  founded 
upon  the  Musalla  el  Nabi,  a place  where  the  Prophet 


THE  SUBURBS  OF  EL  MEDINA!!. 


241 


recited  the  first  Festival  prayers  after  his  arrival  at  El 
Medinah,  and  used  frequently  to  pray,  and  to  address 
those  of  his  followers  who  lived  far  from  the  Haram.  It 
is  a trim  modern  building  of  cut  stone  and  lime,  in  regular 
layers  of  parallelogrammic  shape,  surmounted  by  one  large 
and  four  smaller  cupolas.  These  are  all  white-washed,  and 
the  principal  one  is  capped  with  a large  crescent,  or  rather 
a trident  rising  from  a series  of  gilt  globes.  The  minaret 
is  the  usual  Turkish  shape,  with  a conical  roof,  and  a single 
gallery  for  the  Muezzin.  An  acacia  tree  or  two  on  the 
eastern  side,  and  behind  it  a wall-like  line  of  mud-houses, 
finish  the  coup  ct’oeil;  the  interior  of  this  building  is  as 
simple  as  the  exterior.  And  here  I may  remark  that  the 
Arabs  have  little  idea  of  splendor,  either  in  their  public 
or  in  their  private  architecture.  Whatever  strikes  the 
traveller’s  eye  in  El  Hejaz  is  always  either  an  importation 
or  the  work  of  foreign  artists.  This  arises  from  the  simple 
tastes  of  the  people,  combined,  doubtless,  with  their  notable 
thriffciness.  If  strangers  will  build  for  them,  they  argue, 
why  should  they  build  for  themselves?  Moreover,  they 
have  scant  inducement  to  lavish  money  upon  grand  edifices. 
Whenever  a disturbance  takes  place,  domestic  or  from 
without,  the  principal  buildings  are  sure  to  suffer.  And 
the  climate  is  inimical  to  their  enduring.  Both  ground 
and  air  at  Meccah,  as  well  as  at  El  Medinah,  are  damp  and 
nitrous  in  winter,  in  summer  dry  and  torrid : the  lime  is 
poor ; palm  timber  soon  decays ; even  foreign  wood-work 
suffers,  and  a few  years  suffice  to  level  the  proudest  pile 
with  the  dust. 

The  suburbs  to  the  S.  of  El  Medinah  are  a collection 
of  walled  villages,  with  plantations  and  gardens  between. 
They  are  laid  out  in  the  form,  called  here  as  in  Egypt, 
Hosh — court-yards,  with  single-storied  buildings  opening 
into  them.  These  enclosures  contain  the  cattle  of  the 

11 


242  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

inhabitants ; they  have  strong  wooden  doors,  shut  at  night 
to  prevent  “ lifting,”  and  are  capable  of  being  stoutly  de- 
fended. The  inhabitants  of  the  suburb  are  for  the  most 
part  Bedouin  settlers,  and  a race  of  schismatics  who  will 
be  noticed  in  another  chapter.  Beyond  these  suburbs,  to 
the  S.,  as  well  as  to  the  N.  and  N.E.,  lie  gardens  and  ex- 
tensive plantations  of  palm-trees. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


A RIDE  TO  THE  MOSQUE  OF  KUBA. 

The  principal  places  of  pious  visitation  in  the  vicinity  of  El 
Medinah,  are  the  Mosques  of  Kuba,  the  Cemetery  El  Bakia, 
and  the  martyr  Hamzah’s  tomb,  at  the  foot  of  Mount  Ohod. 
These  the  Zair  is  directed  by  all  the  Ulema  to  visit,  and  on 
the  holy  ground  to  pray  Allah  for  a blessing  upon  himself 
and  upon  his  brethren  of  the  faith. 

Early  one  Saturday  morning,  I started  for  Kuba  with  a 
motley  crowd  of  devotees.  Shaykh  Hamid,  my  Muzawwir, 
was  by  my  side,  mounted  upon  an  ass  more  miserable  than 
I had  yet  seen.  The  boy  Mohammed  had  procured  for  me 
a Meccan  dromedary,  with  splendid  trappings,  a saddle  with 
burnished  metal  peaks  before  and  behind,  covered  with  a 
huge  sheepskin  dyed  crimson,  and  girthed  over  fine  saddle- 
bags, whose  enormous  tassels  hung  almost  to  the  ground 
The  youth  himself  being  too  grand  to  ride  a donkey,  and 
unable  to  borrow  a horse,  preferred  walking.  He  was 
proud  as  a peacock,  being  habited  in  a style  somewhat 
resembling  the  plume  of  that  gorgeous  bird,  in  the  coat  of 
many  colors — yellow,  red,  and  golden  flowers,  apparently 
sewed  on  a field  of  bright  green  silk — which  cost  me  so 


244  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

dear  in  the  Haram.  He  was  armed,  as  indeed  all  of  ns 
were,  in  readiness  for  the  Bedouins,  and  he  anxiously 
awaited  opportunities  of  discharging  his  pistol.  Our  course 
lay  from  Shaykh  Hamid’s  house  in  the  Munakhah,  along 
and  up  the  fiumara,  44  El  Sayh,”  and  through  the  Bab 
Kuba,  a little  gate  in  the  suburb  wall,  where,  by  the  by, 
my  mounted  companion  was  nearly  trampled  down  by  a 
rush  of  half  wild  camels.  Outside  the  town  in  this  direction, 
southward,  is  a plain  of  clay,  mixed  with  chalk,  and  here 
and  there  with  sand,  whence  protrude  blocks  and  little 
ridges  of  basalt. 

Presently  the  Nakhil,  or  palm  plantations  began. 
Nothing  lovelier  to  the  eye,  weary  with  hot  red  glare,  than 
the  rich  green  waving  crops  and  cool  shade — for  hours  I 
could  have  sat  and  looked  at  it,  requiring  no  other  occupa- 
tion— the  44  food  of  vision,”  as  the  Arabs  call  it,  and  44  pure 
water  to  the  parched  throat.”  The  air  was  soft  and  balmy, 
a perfumed  breeze,  strange  luxury  in  El  Hejaz,  wandered 
amongst  the  date  fronds ; there  were  fresh  flowers  and 
bright  foliage, — in  fact  at  mid-summer,  every  beautiful  fea- 
ture of  spring.  Nothing  more  delightful  to  the  ear  than 
the  warbling  of  the  small  birds,  that  sweet  familiar  sound, 
the  splashing  of  tiny  cascades  from  the  wells  into  the 
wooden  troughs,  and  the  musical  song  of  the  water-wheels. 
Travellers — young  travellers— in  the  East  talk  of  the  44  dis- 
mal grating,”  the  44  mournful  monotony,”  and  the  44  melan- 
choly creaking  of  these  dismal  machines.”  To  the  veteran 
wanderer  their  sound  is  delightful  from  association,  remind- 
ing him  of  green  fields,  cool  water-courses,  hospitable 
villagers,  and  plentiful  crops.  The  expatriated  Nubian,  for 
instance,  listens  to  the  water-wheel  with  as  deep  emotion 
as  the  Ranz  des  Vaches  ever  excited  in  the  hearts  of  Swit- 
zer mercenary  at  Naples,  or  44  Lochaber  no  more,”  among 
a regiment  of  Highlanders  in  the  West  Indies. 


THE  DATES  OF  EL  MEDINAH. 


245 


The  date-trees  of  El  Medinah  merit  their  celebrity. 
Their  stately  columnar  stems,  here,  seem  higher  than  in 
other  lands,  and  their  lower  fronds  are  allowed  to  tremble  in 
the  breeze  without  mutilation.  These  enormous  palms  were 
loaded  with  ripening  fruit,  and  the  clusters,  carefully  tied 
up,  must  often  have  weighed  upwards  of  eighty  pounds. 
They  hung  down  between  the  lower  branches  by  a bright 
yellow  stem,  as  thick  as  a man’s  ankle.  Books  enumerate 
139  varieties  of  trees;  of  these  between  sixty  and  seventy 
are  well-known,  and  each  is  distinguished,  as  usual  among 
Arabs,  by  its  peculiar  name.  The  best  kind  is  El  Shelebi ; 
it  is  packed  in  skins,  or  in  flat  round  boxes  covered  with 
paper,  somewhat  in  the  manner  of  French  prunes,  and  sent 
as  presents  to  the  remotest  parts  of  the  Moslem  world. 
The  fruit  is  about  two  inches  long,  with  a small  stone,  and 
what  appeared  to  me  a peculiar  aromatic  flavor  and  smell ; 
it  is  seldom  eaten  by  the  citizens  on  account  of  the  price, 
which  varies  from  two  to  ten  piastres  the  pound.  The  tree, 
moreover,  is  rare,  and  said  to  be  not  so  productive  as  the 
other  species.  The  Ajwah  is  eaten,  but  not  sold,  because  a 
tradition  of  the  Prophet  declares,  that  whoso  breaketh  his 
fast  every  day  with  six  or  seven  of  the  Ajwah-date  need 
fear  neither  poison  nor  magic.  The  third  kind,  El  Hilwah, 
also  a large  date,  derives  a name  from  its  exceeding  sweet- 
ness : of  this  tree  the  Moslems  relate  that  the  Prophet 
planted  a stone,  which  in  a few  minutes  grew  up  and  bore 
fruit.  Next  comes  El  Birni,  of  which  was  said  “ it  causeth 
sickness  to  depart,  and  there  is  no  sickness  in  it.”  The 
Wahshi  on  one  occasion  bent  his  head,  and  salaamed  to 
Mohammed  as  he  ate  its  fruit,  for  which  reason  even  now 
its  lofty  tuft  turns  earthwards.  The  Sayhani  is  so  called, 
because  when  the  founder  of  El  Islam,  holding  Ali’s  hand, 
happened  to  pass  beneath,  it  cried,  “ This  is  Mohammed  the 
Prince  of  Prophets,  and  this  is  Ali  the  Prince  of  the  Pious, 


246  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

and  the  progenitor  of  the  immaculate  Imams.”  Of  course 
the  descendants  of  so  intelligent  a vegetable  hold  high  rank 
in  the  kingdom  of  palms,  and  the  vulgar  were  in  the  habit 
of  eating  the  Sayhani  and  of  throwing  the  stones  about  the 
Haram.  The  Khuzayriyali  is  so  called,  because  it  preserves 
its  green  color,  even  when  perfectly  ripe ; it  is  dried  and 
preserved  as  a curiosity.  The  Jebeli  is  that  most  usually 
eaten : the  poorest  kinds  are  the  “ Laun,”  and  the  Hilayah, 
costing  from  4 to  7 piastres  per  mudd  (about  eleven 
pounds). 

The  fruit  is  prepared  in  a great  variety  of  ways  : per- 
haps the  most  favorite  dish  is  a broil  with  clarified  butter, 
highly  distasteful  to  the  European  palate.  The  date  is  also 
left  upon  the  tree  to  dry,  and  then  called  u Balah  this  is 
eaten  at  dessert  as  the  “ Nukliyat,”  the  “ quatre  mendiants,” 
of  Persia.  Amongst  peculiar  preparations  must  be  men- 
tioned the  Kulladat  el  Sham.  The  unripe  fruit  is  dipped  in 
boiling  water  to  preserve  its  gamboge  color,  strung  upon  a 
thick  thread  and  hung  out  in  the  air  to  dry.  These  strings 
are  worn  all  over  El  Hejaz  as  necklaces  by  children,  who 
seldom  fail  to  munch  the  ornament  when  not  in  fear  of  slap- 
pings,  and  they  are  sent  as  presents  to  distant  countries. 

January  and  February  are  the  time  for  the  masculation 
of  the  palm.  The  “ Nakhwali,”  as  he  is  called,  opens  the 
female  flower,  and  having  inserted  the  inverted  male  flowers, 
binds  them  together : this  operation  is  performed  as  in 
Egypt  upon  each  cluster.  The  fruit  is  ripe  about  the  mid- 
dle of  May,  and  the  gathering  of  it  forms  the  Arab’s  “ vem 
demmia.”  The  people  make  merry  the  more  readily  because 
their  favorite  fruit  is  liable  to  a variety  of  accidents  : droughts 
injure  the  tree,  locusts  destroy  the  produce,  and  the  date 
crop,  like  most  productions  which  men  are  imprudent  enough 
to  adopt  singly  as  the  staff  of  life,  is  subject  to  failure. 
One  of  the  reasons  for  the  excellence  of  Medinah  dates  is 


THE  COOL  SHADES  OF  KUBA. 


247 


the  quantity  of  water  they  obtain : each  garden  or  field  has 
its  well,  and  even  in  the  hottest  weather  the  Persian  wheel 
floods  the  soil  every  third  day.  It  has  been  observed  that 
the  date-tree  can  live  in  dry  and  barren  spots ; but  it  loves 
the  beds  of  streams  and  places  where  moisture  is  procurable. 
The  palms  scattered  over  the  other  parts  of  the  Medinah 
plain,  and  depending  solely  upon  rain  water,  produce  less 
fruit,  and  that  too  of  an  inferior  quality. 

Verdure  is  not  usually  wholesome  in  Arabia,  yet  invalids 
leave  the  close  atmosphere  of  El  Medinah  to  seek  health 
under  the  cool  shades  of  Kuba.  The  gardens  are  divided 
by  what  might  almost  be  called  lanes,  long  narrow  lines 
with  tall  reed  fences  on  both  sides.  The  graceful  branches  of 
the  Tamarisk  pearled  with  manna,  and  cottoned  over  with 
dew,  and  the  broad  leaves  of  the  castor  plant,  glistening 
in  the  sun,  protected  us  from  the  morning  rays.  The  ground 
on  both  sides  of  the  way  was  sunken,  the  earth  being  dis- 
posed in  heaps  at  the  foot  of  the  fences,  an  arrangement 
which  facilitates  irrigation,  by  giving  a fall  to  the  water, 
and  in  some  cases  affords  a richer  soil  than  the  surface. 
This  part  of  the  Medinah  plain,  however,  being  higher  than 
the  rest,  is  less  subject  to  the  disease  of  salt  and  nitre.  On 
the  way  here  and  there  the  earth  crumbles  and  looks  dark 
under  the  dew  of  morning,  but  nowhere  has  it  broken  out 
into  that  glittering  efflorescence  which  notes  the  last  stage 
of  the  attack.  The  fields  and  gardens  are  divided  into  small 
oblongs  separated  from  one  another  by  little  ridges  of  mould 
which  form  diminutive  water  courses.  Of  the  cereals  there 
are  luxuriant  maize,  wheat,  and  barley,  but  the  latter  two 
are  in  small  quantities.  Here  and  there  patches  of  “ Barsim,” 
or  Egyptian  clover,  glitter  brightly  in  the  sun.  The  princi- 
pal vegetables  are  Badanjan  (egg  plant),  the  Bamiyah  (a 
kind  of  esculent  hibiscus,  called  Bhendi  in  India),  and 
Mulukhiyah  (Corchoris  olitorius),  a mucilaginous  spinage 


248  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

common  throughout  this  part  of  the  East.  These  three  are 
eaten  by  citizens  of  every  rank  ; they  are  in  fact  the  greens 
and  potatoes  of  El  Medinah.  I remarked  also  onions  and 
leeks  in  fair  quantities,  a few  beds  of  carrots  and  beans, 
some  fijl  (radishes),  lift  (turnips),  gourds,  cucumbers,  and 
similar  plants.  Fruit  trees  abound.  There  are  fine  descrip- 
tions of  vines,  the  best  of  which  is  El  Sherifi,  a long  white 
grape  of  a flavor  somewhat  resembling  the  produce  of  Tus- 
cany.* Next  to  it,  and  very  similar,  is  El  Birni.  The 
Hijazi  is  a round  fruit,  sweet,  but  insipid,  which  is  also  the 
reproach  of  the  Sawadi  or  black  grapes.  And  lastly,  the 
Raziki  is  a small  white  fruit,  with  a diminutive  stone.  The 
Nebek,  or  Jujube,  is  here  a fine  large  tree  with  a dark  green 
leaf,  roundish  and  polished  like  the  olive  ; it  is  armed  with 
a short,  curved,  and  sharp  thorn, f and  bears  a pale  straw- 
colored  berry  about  the  size  of  a gooseberry,  with  red  streaks 
on  the  side  next  the  sun.  Little  can  be  said  in  favor  of  the 
fruit,  which  has  been  compared  successively  by  disappointed 
“ Lotus  eaters”  to  a bad  plum,  an  unripe  cherry,  and  an  in- 
sipid apple.  It  is,  however,  a favorite  with  the  people  of 
El  Medinah.  There  are  a few  peaches,  hard  like  the  Egyp- 
tian, and  almost  tasteless,  fit  only  for  stewing,  but  greedily 
eaten  in  a half-ripe  state,  large  coarse  bananas,  lime  trees,  a 
few  water  melons,  figs  and  apples,  but  neither  apricots  nor 
pears.  There  are  three  kinds  of  pomegranates : the  best 

* The  resemblance  is  probably  produced  by  the  similarity  of  treat- 
ment. At  El  Medinah,  as  in  Italy,  the  vine  is  “ married”  to  some  tab 
tree,  which,  selfish  as  a husband,  appropriates  to  itself  the  best  of  every- 
thing,— sun,  breeze,  and  rain. 

f This  thorn  (the  Rhamnus  Nabeca,  or  Zizyphus  Spina  Christi)  is 
supposed  to  be  that  which  crowned  our  Saviour’s  head.  There  are 
Mimosas  in  Syria ; but  no  tree,  save  the  fabled  Zakkum,  could  produce 
the  terrible  apparatus  with  which  certain  French  painters  of  the  modern 
school  have  attempted  to  heighten  the  terrors  of  the  scene. 


THE  PEOPLE  OF  KUBA. 


249 


is  the  Shami  (Syrian) ; it  is  red  outside,  very  sweet,  and 
costs  one  piastre ; the  Turki  is  large  and  of  a white  color ; 
and  the  Misri  has  a greenish  rind,  and  a somewhat  subacid 
and  harsh  flavor : these  latter  are  sold  four  times  as  cheap 
as  the  best.  I never  saw  in  the  East,  except  at  Meccah,  a 
finer  fruit  than  the  Shami : almost  stoneless,  like  those  of 
Muscat,  they  are  delicately  perfumed  and  as  large  as  an 
infant’s  head.  El  Medinah  is  celebrated  for  its  thick  pome- 
granate syrup,  drunk  with  water  during  the  hot  weather, 
and  esteemed  cooling  and  wholesome. 

After  threading  our  way  through  the  gardens,  an  ope- 
ration requiring  less  time  than  to  describe  them,  we  saw, 
peeping  through  the  groves,  Kuba’s  simple  minaret.  Then 
we  came  in  sight  of  a confused  heap  of  huts  and  dwelling- 
houses,  chapels  and  towers  with  trees  between,  and  foul 
lanes,  heaps  of  rubbish  and  barking  dogs, — the  usual  mate- 
rial of  a Hejazi  village.  Having  dismounted,  we  gave  our 
animals  in  charge  of  a dozen  infant  Bedouins,  the  produce 
of  the  peasant  gardeners,  who  shouted  “ Bakhshish”  the 
moment  they  saw  us.  To  this  they  were  urged  by  their 
mothers,  and  I willingly  parted  with  a few  paras  for  the 
purpose  of  establishing  an  intercourse  with  fellow  creatures 
so  fearfully  and  wonderfully  resembling  the  tail-less  baboon. 
Their  bodies,  unlike  those  of  Egyptian  children,  were  slim* 
and  straight,  but  their  ribs  stood  out  with  a curious  dis- 
tinctness, the  color  of  the  skin  was  that  oily  lamp-black 
seen  upon  the  face  of  a European  sweep,  and  the  elf-locks, 
peeping  out  of  the  cocoa-nut  heads,  had  been  stained  by 
the  sun,  wind,  and  rain  to  that  reddish-brown  hue  which 
Hindoo  romances  have  appropriated  to  their  Rakshasas  qp 

* Travellers  always  remark  the  curious  pot-bellied  children  on  the 
banks  of  the  Nile.  This  conformation  is  admired  by  the  Egyptians,  who 
consider  it  a sign  of  strength,  and  a promise  of  fine  growth. 

11* 


250  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

demons.  Each  anatomy  carried  in  his  arms  a stark-naked 
miniature  of  himself,  fierce-looking  babies  with  faces  all 
eyes,  and  the  strong  little  wretches  were  still  able  to 
extend  the  right  hand  and  exert  their  lungs  with  direful 
clamor.  Their  mothers  were  fit  progenitors  for  such  pro- 
geny : long,  gaunt,  with  emaciated  limbs,  wall-sided,  high- 
shouldered, and  straight-backed,  with  pendulous  bosoms, 
spider-like  arms,  and  splay  feet.  Their  long  elf-locks, 
wrinkled  faces,  and  high  cheek-bones,  their  lips  darker  than 
the  epidermis,  hollow  staring  eyes,  sparkling  as  if  to  light 
up  the  extreme  ugliness  around,  and  voices  screaming  as  if 
in  a perennial  rage,  invested  them  with  all  the  “ charms  of 
Sycorax.”  These  “houris  of  hell”  wTere  habited  in  long 
night-gowns  dyed  blue  to  conceal  want  of  washing,  and  the 
squalid  children  had  about  a yard  of  the  same  material 
wrapped  round  their  waist  for  all  toilette.  This  is  not  an 
overdrawn  portrait  of  the  farmer  race  of  Arabs,  the  most 
despised  by  their  fellow  countrymen,  and  the  most  hard- 
favored,  morally  as  wTell  as  physically,  of  all  the  breed. 

Before  entering  the  mosque  of  El  Kuba  it  will  be 
necessary  to  call  to  mind  some  passages  of  its  past  history. 
When  the  Prophet’s  she  camel,  El  Kaswa,  as  he  was 
approaching  El  Medinah  after  the  flight  from  Meccah, 
knelt  down  here,  he  desired  his  companions  to  mount  the 
animal.  Abubekr  and  Omar  did  so  ; still  she  sat  upon  the 
ground,  but  when  Ali  obeyed  the  order,  she  arose.  The 
Prophet  bade  him  loose  her  halter,  for  she  was  directed  by 
Allah,  and  the  mosque  walls  were  built  upon  the  line  over 
which  she  trod.  It  was  the  first  place  of  public  prayer  in 
El  Islam.  Mohammed  laid  the  first  brick,  and  with  an 
“ Anzah”  or  iron-shod  javelin,  marked  out  the  direction  of 
prayer ; each  of  his  successors  followed  his  example.  The 
mosque  of  El  Kuba  was  much  respected  by  Omar,  who 
once  finding  it  empty,  swept  it  himself  with  a broom  of 


THE  MOSQUE  OF  EL  KUBA. 


251 


thorns,  and  expressed  his  wonder  at  the  lukewarmness  of 
Moslem  piety.  It  was  originally  a square  building  of  very 
small  size ; Osman  enlarged  it  in  the  direction  of  the 
minaret,  making  it  sixty-six  cubits  each  way.  It  is  no 
longer  “ mean  and  decayed”  as  in  Burckhardt’s  time : the 
Sultan  Abd  el  Hamid,  father  of  Mahmoud,  erected  a neat 
structure  of  cut  stone,  whose  crenelles  make  it  look  more 
like  a place  of  defence  than  of  prayer.  It  has,  however,  no 
pretensions  to  grandeur.  The  minaret  is  of  the  Turkish 
shape.  To  the  south  a small  and  narrow  Riwak,  or  raised 
hypostyle,  with  unpretending  columns,  looks  out  north- 
wards upon  a little  open  area  simply  sanded  over ; and  this 
is  the  whole  building. 

The  large  Mastabah  or  stone  bench  at  the  entrance  of 
the  mosque,  was  crowded  with  sitting  people : we  therefore 
lost  no  time,  after  ablution  and  the  Niyat  (u  the  intention”) 
peculiar  to  this  visitation,  in  ascending  the  steps,  in  pulling 
off  our  slippers,  and  in  entering  the  sacred  building.  We 
stood  upon  the  Prophet’s  place  of  prayer:*  after  Shaykh 
Nur  and  Hamid  had  forcibly  cleared  that  auspicious  spot 
of  a devout  Indian,  and  had  spread  a rug  upon  the  dirty 
matting,  we  performed  a two-prostration  prayer,  in  front 
of  a pillar  into  which  a diminutive  marble  niche  had  been 
inserted  by  way  of  memento.  Then  came  the  Dua  or  sup- 
plication, which  was  as  follows : 

“ O Allah ! bless  and  preserve,  and  increase,  and  per- 
petuate, and  benefit,  and  be  propitious  to,  our  lord  Moham- 
med, and  to  his  family,  and  to  his  companions,  and  be  thou 
their  Preserver ! O Allah  ! this  is  the  mosque  Kuba,  and 
the  place  of  the  Prophet’s  prayers.  O Allah ! pardon  our 
sins,  and  veil  our  faults,  and  place  not  over  us  one  who 


* This  is  believed  to  be  the  spot  where  the  Prophet  performed  his 
first  Rukat,  or  bending  of  the  back  in  prayer. 


252  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

feareth  not  thee,  and  who  pitieth  not  us,  and  pardon  us, 
and  the  true  believers,  men  and  women,  the  quick  of  them 
and  the  dead  ; for  verily  thou,  O Lord,  art  the  hearer,  the 
near  to  us,  the  answerer  of  our  supplications.”  After  which 
we  recited  the  Testification  and  the  Fat-hah,  and  we  drew 
our  palms  as  usual  down  our  faces. 

We  then  moved  away  to  the  south-eastern  corner  of 
the  edifice,  and  stood  before  a niche  in  the  southern  wall. 
It  is  called  “Takat  el  Kashf”  or  44  niche  of  disclosure,”  by 
those  who  believe  that  as  the  Prophet  was  standing  un- 
decided about  the  direction  of  Meccah,  the  Archangel 
Gabriel  removed  all  obstructions  to  his  vision.  There 
again  we  went  through  the  two-prostration  prayer,  the 
supplication,  the  testification,  and  the  Fat-hah,  under  diffi- 
culties, for  people  crowded  us  excessively.  During  our 
devotions,  I vainly  attempted  to  decypher  a Cufic  inscrip- 
tion fixed  in  the  wall  above  and  on  the  right  of  the  niche, 
— my  regret,  however,  at  this  failure  was  transitory,  the 
character  not  being  of  an  ancient  date.  Then  we  left  the 
Riwak,  and  despite  the  morning  sun  which  shone  fiercely 
with  a sickly  heat,  we  went  to  the  open  area  where  stands 
the  44  Mabrak  el  Nakah,”  or  the  44  place  of  kneeling  of  the 
she  dromedary.”  This,  the  exact  spot  where  El  Kaswa 
sat  down,  is  covered  with  a diminutive  dome  of  cut  stone, 
supported  by  four  stone  pillars : the  building  is  about  eight 
feet  high  and  a little  less  in  length  and  breadth.  It  has 
the  appearance  of  being  modern.  On  the  floor,  which  was 
raised  by  steps  above  the  level  of  the  ground,  lay,  as  usual, 
a bit  of  dirty  matting,  upon  which  we  again  went  through 
the  ceremonies  above  detailed. 

Then  issuing  from  the  canopy  into  the  sun,  a little  out- 
side the  Riwak  and  close  to  the  Mabrak,  we  prayed  upon 
the  44  Makan  el  Ayat,”  or  the  44  place  of  signs.”  Here  was 
revealed  to  Mohammed  a passage  in  the  Koran  especially 


THE  MOSQUE  OP  PIETY. 


253 


alluding  to  the  purity  of  the  place  and  of  the  people  of 
Kuba,  “ a temple  founded  in  purity  from  its  first  day:”  and 
again;  “there  men  live  who  loved  to  be  cleansed,  and 
verily  Allah  delights  in  the  clean.”  The  Prophet  exclaimed 
in  admiration,  “ O ye  sons  of  Amr ! what  have  ye  done  to 
deserve  all  this  praise  and  beneficence  ?”  when  the  people 
offered  him  an  explanation  of  their  personal  cleanliness 
which  I do  not  care  to  repeat.  The  mosque  of  Kuba 
from  that  day  took  a fresh  title — Masjid  el  Takwa,  or  the 
“ Mosque  of  Piety.” 

Having  finished  our  prayers  and  ceremonies  at  the 
mosque  of  piety,  we  fought  our  way  out  through  a crowd 
of  importunate  beggars,  and  turning  a few  paces  to  the  left, 
halted  near  a small  chapel  adjoining  the  south-west  angle 
of  the  larger  temple.  We  there  stood  at  a grated  window 
in  the  western  wall,  and  recited  a supplication,  looking  the 
while  most  reverently  at  a dark  dwarf  archway  under  which 
the  lady  Fatimah  used  to  sit  grinding  grain  in  a hand  mill. 
The  mosque  in  consequence  bears  the  name  of  Sittna  Fati- 
mah. A surly-looking  Khadim,  or  guardian,  stood  at  the 
door  demanding  a dollar  in  the  most  authoritative  Arab 
tone — we  therefore  did  not  enter.  At  El  Medinah  and  at 
Meccah  the  traveller’s  hand  must  be  perpetually  in  his 
pouch : no  stranger  in  Paris  or  London  is  more  surely  or 
more  severely  taken  in.  Already  I began  to  fear  that  my 
eighty  pounds  would  not  suffice  for  all  the  expenses  of  sight- 
seeing, and  the  apprehension  was  justified  by  the  sequel. 
At  Meccah,  my  purse  was  too  low  to  admit  of  my  paying 
five  dollars  for  admittance  to  the  Makam  Ibrahim ; which 
caused  me  much  regret,  as  no  European  has  ever  entered 
it.  My  only  friend  was  the  boy  Mohammed,  who  displayed 
a fiery  economy  that  brought  him  into  considerable  dis- 
repute with  his  countrymen.  They  saw  with  emotion  that 
he  was  preaching  parsimony  to  me  solely  that  I might  have 


254  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

more  money  to  spend  at  Meccah  under  his  auspices.  This 
being  probably  the  case,  I threw  all  the  blame  of  penurious- 
ness upon  the  young  Machiavel’s  shoulders,  and  resolved,  as 
he  had  taken  charge  of  my  finances  at  El  Medinah,  so  at 
Meccah  to  administer  them  myself. 

After  praying  at  the  window,  to  the  great  disgust  of  the 
Khadim,  who  openly  asserted  that  we  were  “ low  fellows,” 
we  passed  through  some  lanes  lined  with  beggars  and 
Bedouin  children,  till  we  came  to  a third  little  mosque 
situated  due  south  of  the  larger  one.  This  is  called  the 
Masjid  Arafat,  and  is  erected  upon  a mound  also  named 
Tall  Arafat,  because  on  one  occasion  the  Prophet,  being 
unable  to  visit  the  Holy  mountain  at  the  pilgrimage  season, 
stood  there,  saw  through  the  intervening  space,  and  in 
spirit  performed  the  ceremony.  Here  also  we  looked  into 
a window  instead  of  opening  the  door  with  a silver  key, 
and  the  mesquin  appearance  of  all  within  prevented  my 
regretting  the  necessity  of  economy.  In  India  or  Sindh 
every  village  would  have  a better  mosque.  Our  last  visit 
was  to  a fourth  chapel,  the  Masjid  Ali,  so  termed  because 
the  Prophet’s  son-in-law  had  a house  upon  this  spot.  After 
praying  there — and  terribly  hot  the  little  hole  was! — we 
repaired  to  the  last  place  of  visitation  at  Kuba — a large 
deep  well  called  the  Bir  El  Aris,  in  a garden  to  the  west  of 
the  Mosque  of  Piety,  with  a little  oratory  adjoining  it.  A 
Persian  wheel  was  going  drowsily  round,  and  the  cool 
water  fell  into  a tiny  pool,  whence  it  whirled  and  bubbled 
away  in  childish  mimicry  of  a river.  The  music  sounded 
sweet  in  my  ears,  I stubbornly  refused  to  do  any  more 
praying — though  Shaykh  Hamid,  for  form’s  sake,  reiterated 
with  parental  emphasis,  “how  very  wrong  it  was,” — and 
sat  down,  as  the  Prophet  himself  did  not  disdain  to  do, 
with  the  resolution  of  enjoying  on  the  brink  of  the  well  a few 
moments  of  unwonted  “Kaif.”  The  heat  was  overpow- 


THE  BIR  EL  ARIS. 


255 


ering,  though  it  was  only  nine  o’clock,  the  sound  of  the 
stream  was  soothing,  that  water  wheel  was  creaking  a 
lullaby,  and  the  limes  and  the  pomegranates,  gently  rustling, 
shed  voluptuous  fragrance  through  the  morning  air.  I fell 
asleep — and  wondrous  the  contrast ! — dreamed  that  I was 
once  more  standing 

“By  the  wall  whereon  hangeth  the  crucified  vine,” 

looking  upon  the  valley  of  the  Lianne,  with  its  glaucous 
seas  and  grey  skies,  and  banks  here  and  there  white  with 
snow. 

The  Bir  el  Aris,*  so  called  after  a Jew  of  El  Medinah, 
is  one  which  the  Prophet  delighted  to  visit.  He  would  sit 
upon  its  brink  with  his  bare  legs  hanging  over  the  side,  and 
his  companions  used  to  imitate  his  example.  This  practice 
caused  a sad  disaster ; in  the  sixth  year  of  his  caliphate, 
Osman  dropped  from  his  finger  Mohammed’s  seal  ring, 
which,  engraved  in  three  lines  with  “ Mohammed — Apostle 
— (of)  Allah,”  had  served  to  seal  the  letters  sent  to 
neighboring  kings,  and  had  descended  to  the  three  first 
successors.!  The  precious  article  was  not  recovered  after 
three  days’  search,  and  the  well  was  thenceforward  called 
Bir  el  Khatim — of  the  Seal  Ring.  It  is  also  called  the  Bir 
el  Taflat — of  Salivaf — because  the  Prophet  honored  it  by 

* Some  authors  mention  a second  Bir  el  Aris,  belonging  in  part  to 
the  Caliph  Osman. 

f Others  assert,  with  less  probability,  that  the  article  in  question 
was  lost  by  one  Maakah,  a favorite  of  Osman.  As  that  ill-fated  Caliph’s 
troubles  began  at  the  time  of  this  accident,  the  ring  is  generally  com- 
pared to  Solomon’s.  Our  popular  authors,  who  assert  that  Mohammed 
himself  lost  the  ring,  are  greatly  in  error. 

% According  to  some  authors,  Mohammed  drew  a bucket  of  water, 
drank  part  of  the  contents,  spat  into  the  rest,  and  poured  it  back  into 
the  well,  which  instantly  became  sweet. 


256  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCA  H. 

expectoration,  which,  by  the  by,  he  seems  to  have  done  to 
almost  all  the  wells  in  El  Medinah.  The  effect  of  the 
operation  upon  the  Bir  el  Aris,  say  the  historians,  was  to 
sweeten  the  water,  which  before  was  salt.  Their  testimony, 
however,  did  not  prevent  my  detecting  a pronounced 
medicinal  taste  in  the  lukewarm  draught  drawn  for  me  by 
Shaykh  Hamid.  In  the  Prophet’s  day  the  total  number 
of  wells  is  recorded  to  have  been  twenty:  most  of  them 
have  long  since  disappeared ; but  there  still  remain  seven, 
whose  waters  were  drunk  by  the  Prophet,  and  which,  in 
consequence,  the  Zair  is  directed  to  visit.*  After  my  sleep, 
which  was  allowed  to  last  until  a pipe  or  two  of  latakia 
had  gone  round  the  party,  we  remounted  our  animals.  On 
the  left  of  the  village  returning  towards  El  Medinah,  my 
companions  pointed  out  to  me  a garden,  called  El  Mad- 
shuniyah.  It  contains  a quarry  of  the  yellow  loam  or  bole- 
earth,  called  by  the  Arabs  Tafl,  the  Persians  Gili  Sarshui, 
and  the  Sindhians  Metu.  It  is  used  as  soap  in  many  parts 
of  the  East,  and,  mixed  with  oil,  it  is  supposed  to  cool  the 
body,  and  to  render  the  skin  fresh  and  supple.  It  is  related 
that  the  Prophet  cured  a Bedouin  of  the  Beni  Haris  tribe 
of  fever  by  washing  him  with  a pot  of  Tafl  dissolved  in 
water,  and  hence  the  earth  of  El  Medinah  derived  its  heal- 
ing fame.  As  far  as  I could  learn  from  the  Madani,  this 
clay  is  no  longer  valued  by  them,  either  medicinally  or 
cosmetically : the  only  use  they  could  mention  was  its  being 
eaten  by  the  fair  sex,  when  in  the  peculiar  state*  described 
by  “ chlorosis.” 

* The  pious  perform  the  Lesser  Ablution  upon  the  brink  of  the 
seven  wells,  and  drink  of  the  remnant  of  the  water  in  “ tabarruk”  or  to 
secure  the  blessing  of  God. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE  VISITATION  OF  HAMZAH’S  TOMB. 

On  the  morning  of  Sunday,  the  twenty-third  Zu’l  Kaadah 
(28th  August  1853),  arrived  the  great  caravan  from  El 
Sham  or  Damascus.*  It  is  popularly  called  Hajj  El  Shami, 
or  the  “ Damascus  pilgrimage,”  as  the  Egyptian  Cafala  is 
El  Misri,f  or  the  Cairo  pilgrimage.  It  is  the  main  stream 
which  carries  off  all  the  small  currents  that  at  this  season 
of  general  movement  flow  from  central  Asia  towards  the 
great  centre  of  the  Islamitic  world,  and  in  1853  amounted 
to  about  *7 000  souls.  It  was  anxiously  expected  by  the 
people  for  several  reasons.  In  the  first  place,  it  brought 
with  it  a new  curtain  for  the  Prophet’s  Hujrah,  the  old  one 
being  in  a tattered  condition;  secondly,  it  had  charge  of 
the  annual  stipends  and  pensions  of  the  citizens ; and  third- 
ly, many  families  expected  members  returning  under  its 
escort  to  their  homes.  The  popular  anxiety  was  greatly 
increased  by  the  disordered  state  of  the  country  round 

* This  city  derives  its  name,  the  “ Great  Gate  of  Pilgrimage,”  and 
the  “ Key  of  the  Prophet’s  Tomb,”  from  its  being  the  gathering-place  of 
this  caravan. 

f The  Egyptians  corruptly  pronounce  El  Misr — Cairo— “ El  Masr.” 


258  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

about;  and,  moreover,  the  great  caravan  had  been  one 
day  late,  generally  arriving  on  the  morning  of  the  22nd 
Zu’l  Kaadah. 

During  the  night  three  of  Shaykh  Hamid’s  brothers, 
who  had  entered  as  Muzawwirs  with  the  Haji,  came  sud- 
denly to  the  house : they  leaped  off  their  camels,  and  lost 
not  a moment  in  going  through  the  usual  scene  of  kissing, 
embracing,  and  weeping  bitterly  for  joy.  I arose  in  the 
morning,  and  looked  out  from  the  windows  of  the  majlis  : 
the  Barr  el  Munakhah,  from  a dusty  waste  dotted  with  a 
few  Bedouins  and  hair  tents,  had  assumed  all  the  various 
shapes  and  the  colors  of  a kaleidoscope.  The  eye  was 
bewildered  by  the  shifting  of  innumerable  details,  in  all 
parts  totally  different  from  one  another,  thrown  confusedly 
together  in  one  small  field ; and,  however  jaded  with  sight- 
seeing, it  dwelt  with  delight  upon  the  vivacity,  the  variety, 
and  the  intense  picturesqueness  of  the  scene.  In  one  night 
had  sprung  up  a town  of  tents  of  every  size,  color,  and 
shape, — round,  square  and  oblong, — open  and  closed, — 
from  the  shawl-lined  and  gilt-topped  pavilion  of  the  pacha, 
with  all  the  luxurious  appurtenances  of  the  Haram,  to  its 
neighbor  the  little  dirty  green  “rowtie”  of  the  tobacco- 
seller.  They  were  pitched  in  admirable  order : here  ranged 
in  a long  line,  where  a street  was  required ; there  packed 
in  dense  masses,  where  thoroughfares  were  unnecessary. 
But  how  describe  the  utter  confusion  in  the  crowding,  the 
bustling,  and  the  vast  variety  and  volume  of  sound  ? Huge 
white  Syrian  dromedaries,  compared  with  which  those  of 
El  Hejaz  appeared  mere  pony-camels,  jingling  large  bells, 
and  bearing  shugdufs*  like  miniature  green  tents,  swaying 

* The  Syrian  shugduf  differs  entirely  from  that  of  El  Hejaz.  It  is 
composed  of  two  solid  wooden  cots  about  four  feet  in  length,  slung 
along  the  camel’s  sides  and  covered  over  with  cloth,  in  the  shape  of  a 
tent.  They  are  nearly  twice  as  heavy  as  the  Hejazi  litter,  and  yet  a 


THE  “DAMASCUS  PILGRIMAGE.” 


259 


and  tossing  upon  their  backs;  gorgeous  Takhtrawan,  or 
litters  borne  between  camels  or  mules  with  scarlet  and 
brass  trappings;  Bedouins  bestriding  naked-backed  “De- 
luls,”*  and  clinging  like  apes  to  the  hairy  humps ; Arnaut, 
Turkish,  and  Kurd  irregular  horsemen,  fiercer  looking  in 
their  mirth  than  Roman  peasants  in  their  rage;  fainting 
Persian  pilgrims,  forcing  their  stubborn  dromedaries  to 
kneel,  or  dismounted  grumbling  from  jaded  donkeys;  Kah- 
wagis,  sherbet  sellers,  and  ambulant  tobacconists  crying 
their  goods;  country-people  driving  flocks  of  sheep  and 
goats  with  infinite  clamor  through  lines  of  horses  fiercely 
snorting  and  rearing;  towns-people  seeking  their  friends; 
returned  travellers  exchanging  affectionate  salutes ; devout 
Haj is  jolting  one  another,  running  under  the  legs  of  camels, 
and  tumbling  over  the  tents’  ropes  in  their  hurry  to  reach 
the  Haram;  cannon  roaring  from  the  citadel;  shopmen, 
water-carriers  and  fruit  venders  fighting  over  their  bargains; 
boys  bullying  heretics  with  loud  screams ;.  a well-mounted 
party  of  fine  old  Arab  Shaykhs  of  Hamidah  clan,  preceded 
by  their  varlets,  performing  the  Arzah  or  war  dance, — com- 
pared with  which  the  Pyrenean  bear’s  performance  is  grace 
itself, — firing  their  duck  guns  upwards,  or  blowing  the 
powder  into  the  calves  of  those  before  them,  brandishing 
their  swords,  leaping  frantically  the  while,  with  their  bright- 
colored  rags  floating  in  the  wind,  tossing  their  long  spears 
tufted  with  ostrich  feathers  high  in  the  air,  reckless  where 
they  fall ; servants  seeking  their  masters,  and  masters  their 
tents,  with  vain  cries  of  Ya  Mohammed  ;f  grandees  riding 

Syrian  camel-man  would  as  surely  refuse  to  put  one  of  the  latter  upon 
his  beast’s  back,  as  the  Hejazi  to  carry  a Syrian  litter. 

* This  is  the  Arabic  modern  word,  synonymous  with  the  Egyptian 
Hajin,  namely,  a she  dromedary.  The  word  “ Nakah,”  at  present  popu- 
lar in  El  Hejaz,  means  a she  dromedary  kept  for  breeding  as  well  as  ri  ling. 

\ One  might  as  sensibly  cry  out  * John”  in  an  English  theatre. 


260  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

mules  or  stalking  on  foot,  preceded  by  their  crowd-beaters, 
shouting  to  clear  the  way ; — here  the  loud  shrieks  of  women 
and  children,  whose  litters  are  bumping  and  rasping  against 
one  another ; — there  the  low  moaning  of  some  poor  wretch 
that  is  seeking  a shady  corner  to  die  in : — add  a thick  dust 
which  blurs  the  outlines  like  a London  fog,  with  a flaming 
sun  that  draws  sparkles  of  fire  from  the  burnished  weapons 
of  the  crowd,  and  the  brass  balls  of  tent  and  fitter ; and — I 
doubt,  gentle  reader,  that  even  the  length,  the  jar,  and  the 
confusion  of  this  description  is  adequate  to  its  subject,  or 
that  any  word-painting  of  mine  can  convey  a just  idea  of 
the  scene. 

This  was  the  day  appointed  for  our  visiting  the  martyrs 
of  Ohod.  After  praying  the  dawn-prayers  as  directed  at  the 
Haram,  we  mounted  our  donkeys,  and,  armed  with  pistols 
and  knives,  set  out  from  the  city.  Our  party  was  a large 
one.  Saad  the  Devil  had  offered  to  accompany  us,  and  the 
bustle  around  kept  him  in  the  best  of  humors ; Omar 
Effendi  was  also  there,  quiet  looking  and  humble  as  usual, 
leading  his  ass  to  avoid  the  trouble  of  dismounting  every 
second  minute.*  I had  the  boy  Mohammed  and  my 
“slave,”  and  Shaykh  Hamid  was  attended  by  half  a dozen 
relations.  To  avoid  the  crush  of  the  Barr  el  Munakhah,  we 
made  a detour  westwards,  over  the  bridge  and  down  the 
course  of  the  torrent-bed  “ el  Sayh.”  During  the  greater 
part  of  the  time  we  were  struggling  through  a living  tide ; 
and  among  dromedaries  and  chargers,  a donkey  is  by  no 
means  a pleasant  monture . With  some  difficulty,  but  with- 
out any  more  serious  accident  than  a fall  or  two,  we  found 
ourselves  in  the  space  beyond  and  northward  of  the  city. 
This  also  was  covered  with  travellers  and  tents,  amongst 

* Respectable  men  in  El  Hejaz,  when  they  meet  friends,  acquaint- 
ances, or  superiors,  consider  it  only  polite  to  dismount  from  a donkey. 


JEBEL  OHOD. 


261 


which,  on  an  eminence  to  the  left  of  the  road,  rose  con- 
spicuous the  bright  green  pavilion  of  the  Emir  El  Hajj,  the 
commandant  of  the  caravan.*  Hard  by,  half  its  height  sur- 
rounded by  a kanat  or  tent  wall,  stood  the  Syrian  or  Sultan’s 
Mahmal,  all  glittering  with  green  and  gilding  and  gold,  and 
around  it  were  pitched  the  handsome  habitations  of  the  prin- 
cipal officers  and  grandees  of  the  pilgrimage.  On  the  right 
hand  lay  extensive  palm  plantations,  and  on  the  left,  strewed 
over  the  plain,  were  signs  of  wells  and  tanks,  built  to  supply 
the  Hajj  with  water.  W e pass  two  small  buildings, — one  the 
Kubbat  El  Sabak  or  Dome  of  Precedence,  where  the  Pro- 
phet’s warrior  friends  used  to  display  their  horsemanship ; 
the  second  the  makan  or  burial-place  of  Sayyidna  Zaki  el 
Din,  one  of  Mohammed’s  multitudinous  descendants.  Then 
we  fall  into  a plain,  resembling  that  of  Kuba,  but  less  fertile. 
While  we  are  jogging  over  it,  a few  words  concerning 
Mount  Ohod  may  not  be  misplaced.  A popular  distich  says* 

“ Verily  there  is  healing  to  the  eye  that  looks 
Unto  Ohod  and  the  two  Harratsf  near.” 

And  of  this  holy  hill  the  Prophet  declared,  “ Ohod  is  a 

* The  title  of  the  pacha  who  has  the  privilege  of  conducting  the 
caravan.  It  is  a lucrative  as  well  as  an  honorable  employment,  for  the 
emir  enjoys  the  droit  d'aubaine,  becoming  heir  to  the  personal  property 
of  all  pilgrims  who  die  in  the  holy  cities  or  on  the  line  of  march.  And 
no  Persian,  even  of  the  poorest,  would  think  of  undertaking  a pilgrimage 
by  this  line  of  country,  without  having  at  least  80£.  in  ready  money 
with  him. 

The  first  person  who  bore  the  title  of  Emir  El  Hajj  was  Abubekr, 
who  in  the  9th  year  of  the  Hijrah  led  300  Moslems  from  El  Medinah  to 
the  Meccah  pilgrimage.  On  this  occasion  idolaters  and  infidels  were  for 
the  first  time  expelled  the  Holy  City. 

f u Harrat”  from  Harr  (heat)  is  the  generic  name  of  lava,  porous 
basalt,  scoriae,  greenstone,  schiste,  and  others  supposed  to  be  of  igneous 
origin.  It  is  also  used  to  denote  a ridge  or  hill  of  such  formation. 


262  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

mountain  which  loves  us  and  which  we  love : it  is  upon  the 
gate  of  Heaven  adding,  “ and  Ayr  is  a place  which  hates 
us  and  which  we  hate : it  is  upon  the  gate  of  Hell.”  The 
former  sheltered  Mohammed  in  the  time  of  danger,  there- 
fore on  Resurrection  Day  it  will  be  raised  to  paradise: 
whereas  Jebel  Ayr,  its  neighbor,  having  been  so  ill-judged 
as  to  refuse  the  Prophet  water  on  an  occasion  while  he 
thirsted,  will  be  cast  incontinently  into  Hell.  Moslem 
divines,  be  it  observed,  ascribe  to  Mohammed  miraculous 
authority  over  animals,  vegetables,  and  minerals,  as  well  as 
over  men,  angels,  and  jinns.  Hence  the  speaking  wolf,  the 
weeping  post,  the  oil-stone,  and  the  love  and  hate  of  these 
two  mountains.  It  is  probably  one  of  the  many  remains  of 
ancient  paganism  pulled  down  and  afterwards  use$  to  build 
up  the  edifice  of  El  Islam. 

Jebel  Ohod  owes  its  present  reputation  to  a cave  which 
sheltered  the  Prophet  when  pursued  by  his  enemies,  to 
certain  springs  of  which  he  drank,  and  especially  to  its 
being  the  scene  of  a battle  celebrated  in  El  Islam.  On 
Saturday,  the  11th  Shawwal,  in  the  3rd  year  of  the  Hijrah 
(26th  January  a.  d.  625)  Mohammed  with  700  men  engaged 
3000  infidels  under  the  command  of  Abu  Sufiyan,  ran  great 
personal  danger,  and  lost  his  uncle  Hamzah,  the  “ Lord 
of  Martyrs.”  On  the  topmost  pinnacle,  also,  is  the  Kubbat 
Harlin,  the  dome  erected  over  Aaron’s  remains.  It  is  now, 
I was  told,  in  a ruinous  condition. 

After  half  an  hour’s  ride  we  came  to  the  Mustarah  or 
resting  place,  so  called  because  the  Prophet  sat  here  for  a few 
minutes  on  his  way  to  the  battle  of  Ohod.  It  is  a newly- 
built  square  enclosure  of  dwarf  white-washed  walls,  within 
which  devotees  pray.  On  the  outside  fronting  El  Medinah 
is  a seat  like  a chair  of  rough  stones.  Here  I was  placed 


Meaning  that  on  that  day  it  shall  be  so  treated. 


THE  FIELD  OF  OHOD. 


263 


my  Muzawwir,  who  recited  an  insignificant  supplication 
to  ^>e  repeated  after  him.  At  its  end  with  the  Fat-hah  and 
accompaniments,  we  remounted  our  asses  and  resumed  our 
way.  Travelling  onwards,  we  came  in  sight  of  the  second 
harrat  or  ridge.  It  lies  to  the  right  and  left  of  the  road, 
and  resembles  lines  of  lava,  but  I had  not  an  opportunity 
to  examine  it  narrowly.*  Then  we  reached  the  gardens 
of  Ohod,  which  reflect  in  miniature  those  of  Kuba,  and 
presently  we  arrived  at  what  explained  the  presence  of* 
verdure  and  vegetable  life, — a deep  fiumara  full  of  loose 
sand  and  large  stones  denoting  an  impetuous  stream.  On 
the  south  of  the  fiumara  is  a village  on  an  eminence,  con- 
taining some  large  brick  houses  now  in  a ruinous  state ; 
these  are  the  villas  of  opulent  and  religious  citizens  who 
visited  the  place  for  change  of  air,  recreation,  and  worship 
at  Hamzah’s  tomb.  Our  donkeys  sank  fetlock-deep  in  the 
loose  sand  of  the  torrent-bed.  Then  reaching  the  northern 
side  and  ascending  a gentle  slope,  we  found  ourselves  upon 
the  battle-field. 

4 This  spot,  so  celebrated  in  the  annals  of  El  Islam,  is  a 
shelving  strip  of  land,  close  to  the  southern  base  of  Mount 
Ohod.  The  army  of  the  infidels  advanced  from  the  fiumara 
in  crescent  shape,  with  Abu  Sufiyan,  the  general,  and  his 
idols  in  the  centre.  It  is  distant  about  three  miles  from  El 
Medinah,  in  a northerly  direction.  All  the  visitor  sees  is 
hard  gravelly  ground,  covered  with  little  heaps  of  various 
colored  granite,  red  sandstone,  and  bits  of  porphyry,  to 
denote  the  different  places  where  the  martyrs  fell,  and  were 


* When  engaged  in  such  a holy  errand  as  this,  to  have  ridden  away 
for  the  purpose  of  inspecting  a line  of  black  stone,  would  have  been 
certain  to  arouse  the  suspicions  of  an  Arab.  Either,  he  would  argue, 
you  recognise  the  place  of  some  treasure  described  in  your  books,  01 
you  are  a magician  seeking  a talisman. 


264  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAII  AND  MECCAH. 

buried.*  Seen  from  this  point,  there  is  something  appalling 
in  the  look  of  the  Holy  Mountain.  Its  seared  and  jagged 
flanks  rise  like  masses  of  iron  from  the  plain,  and  the  crevice 
into  which  the  Moslem  host  retired,  when  the  disobedience 
of  the  archers  in  hastening  to  plunder  enabled  Khalid  bin 
Walid  to  fall  upon  Mohammed’s  rear,  is  the  only  break  in 
the  grim  wall.  Reeking  with  heat,  its  surface  produces  not 
one  green  shrub  or  stunted  tree;  not  a bird  or  beast 
appeared  upon  its  inhospitable  sides,  and  the  bright  blue 
sky  glaring  above  its  bald  and  sullen  brow,  made  it  look 
only  the  more  repulsive.  I was  glad  to  turn  my  eyes  away 
from  it. 

To  the  left  of  the  road  1ST.  of  the  fiumara,  and  leading 
to  the  mountains,  stands  Hamzah’s  Mosque,  which,  like  the 
Haram  of  El  Medinah,  is  a mausoleum  as  well  as  a fane. 
It  is  a small  square  strongly-built  edifice  of  hewn  stone, 
with  a dome  covering  the  solitary  hypostele  to  the  south, 
and  the  usual  minaret.  On  the  eastern  side  of  the  building 
a half  wing  projects,  and  opens  to  the  south,  with  a small 
door  upon  a Mastabah  or  stone  bench  five  or  six  feet  high, 
which  completes  the  square  of  the  edifice.  On  the  right  of 
the  road  opposite  Hamzah’s  Mosque,  is  a large  erection, 
now  in  ruins,  containing  a deep  hole  leading  to  a well,  and 
huge  platforms  for  the  accommodation  of  travellers,  and 
beyond,  towards  the  mountains,  are  the  small  edifices  pre- 
sently to  be  described. 

Some  Turkish  women  were  sitting  veiled  upon  the 
shady  platform  opposite  the  Martyrs’  Mosque.  At  a little 
distance  their  husbands,  and  the  servants  holding  horses 
and  asses,  lay  upon  the  ground,  and  a large  crowd  of 
Bedouins,  boys,  girls,  and  old  women,  had  gathered  around 

* They  are  said  to  be  seventy,  but  the  heaps  appeared  to  me  at  least 
three  times  more  numerous. 


THE  VISITATION  OF  HAMZAH. 


265 


to  beg,  draw  water,  and  sell  dry  dates.  They  were  await- 
ing the  guardian,  who  had  not  yet  acknowledged  the  sum- 
mons. After  half  an  hour’s  vain  patience,  we  determined 
to  proceed  with  the  ceremonies.  Ascending  by  its  steps 
the  Mastabah  subtending  half  the  eastern  wall,  Shaykh 
Hamid  placed  me  so  as  to  front  the  tomb.  There,  stand- 
ing in  the  burning  sun,  we  repeated  the  following  prayer  • 
“ Peace  be  with  thee,  O our  Lord  Hamzah ! O paternal 
uncle  of  Allah’s  messenger!  O paternal  uncle  of  Allah’s 
Prophet ! Peace  be  with  thee,  0 paternal  uncle  of  Mus- 
tafa ! Peace  be  with  thee,  O Prince  of  the  Martyrs ! O 
prince  of  the  happy  ! Peace  be  with  thee,  O Lion  of 
Allah  ! O Lion  of  his  Prophet !”  Concluding  with  the  Tes- 
tification and  the  Fat-hah. 

After  which,  we  asked  Hamzah  arid  his  companions  to 
lend  us  their  aid,  in  obtaining  for  us  and  ours  pardon, 
worldly  prosperity,  and  future  happiness.  Scarcely  had  we 
finished  when,  mounted  on  a high-trotting  dromedary, 
appeared  the  emissary  of  Mohammed  Khalifah,  descendant 
of  El  Abbas,  who  keeps  the  key  of  the  mosque,  and  receives 
the  fees  and  donations  of  the  devout.  It  was  to  be  opened 
for  the  Turkish  pilgrims.  I waited  to  see  the  interior. 
The  Arab  drew  forth  from  his  pouch,  with  abundant 
solemnity,  a bunch  of  curiously  made  keys,  and  sharply 
directed  me  to  stand  away  from  and  out  of  sight  of  the 
door.  When  I obeyed,  grumblingly,  he  began  to  rattle 
the  locks,  and  to  snap  the  padlocks,  opening  them  slowly, 
shaking  them,  and  making  as  much  noise  as  possible.  The 
reason  of  the  precaution — it  sounded  like  poetry  if  not 
sense — is  this.  It  is  believed  that  the  souls  of  martyrs, 
leaving  the  habitations  of  their  senseless  clay,*  are  fond  of 

* Some  historians  relate  that  forty-six  years  after  the  battle  of 
Ohod,  the  tombs  were  laid  bare  by  a torrent,  when  the  corpses 

12 


266  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAII  AND  MECCAH. 

sitting  together  in  spiritual  converse,  and  profane  eye  must 
not  fall  upon  the  scene.  What  grand  pictures  these  ima- 
ginative Arabs  see  ! Conceive  the  majestic  figures  of  the 
saints — for  the  soul  with  Mohammedans  is  like  the  old  Euro- 
pean spirit,  a something  immaterial  in  the  shape  of  the  body 
— with  long  grey  beards,  earnest  faces,  and  solemn  eyes, 
reposing  beneath  the  palms,  and  discussing  events  now 
buried  in  the  darkness  of  a thousand  years. 

I would  fain  be  hard  upon  this  superstition,  but  shame 
prevents.  When,  in  Nottingham,  eggs  may  not  be  carried 
out  after  sunset ; when  Ireland  hears  Banshees,  or  appari- 
tional  old  women,  with  streaming  hair,  and  dressed  in  blue 
mantles ; when  Scotland  sees  a shroud  about  a person, 
showing  his  approaching  death  ; when  France  has  her  loup- 
garous,  revenants,  and  poules  du  Yendredi  Saint  (i.  e.  hens 
hatched  on  Good  Friday  supposed  to  change  color  every 
year) : as  long  as  the  Holy  Coat  cures  devotees  at  Treves, 
Madonnas  wink  at  Rimini,  San  Gennaro  melts  at  Naples, 
and  Addolorate  and  Estatiche  make  converts  to  hysteria  at 
Rome — whilst  the  Virgin  manifests  herself  to  children  on 
the  Alps,  whilst  Germany  sends  forth  Psychography,  whilst 
Europe,  the  civilized,  the  enlightened,  the  sceptical,  dotes 
over  such  puerilities  as  clairvoyance  and  table-turning ; and 
whilst  even  hard-headed  America  believes  in  “ mediums,” 
in  “ snail-telegraphs,’’  and  “ spirit-rappings,” — I must  hold 
the  men  of  El  Medinah  to  be  as  wise,  and  their  superstition 
to  be  as  respectable  as  others. 

But  the  realities  of  Hamzah’s  Mosque  have  little  to 

appeared  in  their  winding-sheets  as  if  buried  the  day  before.  Some 
had  their  hands  upon  their  death  wounds,  from  which  fresh  blood 
trickled  when  the  pressure  was  forcibly  removed.  In  opposition  to  this 
Moslem  theory,  we  have  that  of  the  Modern  Greeks,  namely,  that  if  the 
body  be  not  decomposed  Avithin  a year,  it  shows  that  the  soul  is  not 
where  it  should  be. 


IIAMZAIl’S  MOSQUE. 


267 


recommend  them.  The  building  is  like  that  of  Kuba,  only 
smaller,  and  the  hypostele  is  hung  with  oil  lamps  and 
ostrich  eggs,  the  usual  paltry  furniture  of  an  Arab  mauso- 
leum. On  the  walls  are  a few  modern  inscriptions  and 
framed  poetry,  written  in  a caligraphic  hand.  Beneath  the 
Rivak  lies  Hamzah,  under  a mass  of  black  basaltic  stone, 
like  that  of  Aden,  only  more  porous  and  scoriaceous,  convex 
at  the  top,  like  a heap  of  earth,  without  the  Kiswat,*  or 
cover  of  a saint’s  tomb,  and  railed  around  with  wooden 
bars.  At  his  head  or  westward,  lies  Abdullah  bin  J aish,  a 
name  little  known  to  fame,  under  a plain  white-washed 
tomb,  also  convex ; and  in  the  court-yard  is  a similar  one, 
erected  over  the  remains  of  Shammas  bin  Usman,  another 
obscure  companion.  We  then  passed  through  a door  in 
the  northern  part  of  the  western  wall,  and  saw  a diminutive 
palm  plantation  and  a well.  After  which  we  left  the  mosque, 
and  I was  under  the  “ fatal  necessity  ” of  paying  a dollar 
for  the  honor  of  entering  it.  But  the  guardian  promised 
that  the  chapters  Y.  S.  and  El  Ikhlas  should  be  recited  for 
my  benefit — the  latter  forty  times — and  if  their  efficacy  be 
one-twentieth  part  of  what  men  say  it  is,  the  reader  cannot 
quote  against  me  a certain  popular  proverb,  concerning  an 
order  of  men  easily  parted  from  their  money. 

Issuing  from  the  mosque,  we  advanced  a few  paces 
towards  the  mountain.  On  our  left  we  passed  by — at  a re- 
spectable distance,  for  the  Turkish  Hajis  cried  out  that  their 
women  were  engaged  in  ablution — a large  Sehrij  or  tank, 
built  of  cut  stone  with  steps,  and  intended  to  detain  the  over- 
flowing waters  of  the  torrent.  The  next  place  we  prayed 
at  was  a small  square,  enclosed  with  dwarf  white-washed 

* In  the  common  tombs  of  martyrs,  saints,  and  holy  men,  this  cov- 
ering is  usually  of  green  cloth,  with  long  white  letters  sewn  upon  it. 
I forgot  to  ask  whether  it  was  temporarily  absent  from  Hamzah’s 


268  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

walls,  containing  a few  graves  denoted  by  ovals  of  loose 
stones  thinly  spread  upon  the  ground.  This  is  primitive 
Arab  simplicity.  The  Bedouins  still  mark  the  places  of 
their  dead  with  four  stones  planted  at  the  head,  the  feet, 
and  the  sides,  in  the  centre  the  earth  is  either  heaped  up 
Musannam  (i.  e.  like  the  hump  of  a camel),  or  more  gene- 
rally left  Musattah — level.  I therefore  suppose  that  the  lat- 
ter was  the  original  shape  of  the  Prophet’s  tomb.  Within 
the  enclosure  certain  martyrs  of  the  holy  army  were  buried. 
After  praying  there,  we  repaired  to  a small  building  still 
nearer  to  the  foot  of  the  mountain.  It  is  the  usual  cupola 
springing  from  four  square  walls,  not  in  the  best  preserva- 
tion. Here  the  Prophet  prayed,  and  it  is  called  the  Khub- 
bat  El  Sanaya,  “ Dome  of  the  Front  Teeth,”  from  the  fol- 
lowing circumstance.  Five  infidels  were  bound  by  oath  to 
slay  Mohammed  at  the  battle  of  Ohod ; one  of  these,  Ibn 
Kumayyah,  threw  so  many  stones  and  with  such  good  will 
that  two  rings  of  the  Prophet’s  helmet  were  driven  into  his 
cheek,  and  blood  poured  from  his  brow  down  his  mustachios, 
which  he  wiped  with  a cloak  to  prevent  the  drops  falling  to 
the  ground.  Then  Utbah  bin  Abi  Wakkas  hurled  a stone 
at  him,  which,  splitting  his  lower  lip,  knocked  out  one  of 
his  front  teeth.  On  the  left  of  the  Mihrab,  inserted  low 
down  in  the  wall,  is  a square  stone,  upon  which  Shaylik 
Hamid  showed  me  the  impression  of  a tooth : he  kissed  it 
with  peculiar  reverence,  and  so  did  I.  But  the  boy  Mo- 
hammed being  by  me  objurgated — for  I remarked  in  him 
a jaunty  demeanor  combined  with  neglectfulness  of  ceremo- 
nies— saluted  it  sulkily,  muttering  the  while  hints  about  the 
holiness  of  his  birth-place  exempting  him  from  the  trouble 
of  stooping.  Already  he  had  appeared  at  the  Haram  with- 
out his  Jubbeh,  and  with  ungirt  loins, — in  waistcoat  and 
shirt  sleeves.  Moreover  he  had  conducted  himself  indeco- 
rously by  nudging  Shaykh  Hamid’s  sides  during  divine 


HABIT  OF  SCRIBBLING. 


269 


service.  Feeling  that  the  youth’s  “ moral  man  ” was,  like 
his  physical,  under  my  charge,  and  determined  to  arrest  a 
course  of  conduct  which  must  have  ended  in  obtaining  for 
me,  the  master,  the  reputation  of  a “ son  of  Belial,”  I insisted 
upon  his  joining  us  in  the  customary  two-prostration 
prayers.  And  Saad  the  Devil  taking  my  side  of  the  ques- 
tion with  his  usual  alacrity  when  a disturbance  was  in 
prospect,  the  youth  found  it  necessary  to  yield.  After  this 
little  scene,  Shaykh  Hamid  pointed  out  a sprawling  inscrip- 
tion blessing  the  companions  of  the  Prophet.  The  unhappy 
Abubekr’s  name  had  been  half  effaced  by  some  fanatic 
Shiah,  a circumstance  which  seemed  to  arouse  all  the  evil  in 
my  companion’s  nature,  and  looking  close  at  the  wall  I 
found  a line  of  Persian  verse  to  this  effect : 

“I  am  weary  of  my  life  (Umr),  because  it  bears  the  name  of 
Umar.”* 

We  English  wanderers  are  beginning  to  be  shamed  out 
of  our  habit  of  scribbling  names  and  nonsense  in  noted 
spots.  Yet  the  practice  is  both  classical  and  oriental.  The 
Greeks  and  Persians  left  their  marks  everywhere,  as  Egypt 
shows,  and  the  paws  of  the  Sphinx  bear  scratches  which, 
being  interpreted,  are  found  to  be  the  same  manner  of 
trash  as  that  written  upon  the  remains  of  Thebes  in  a.  d. 
1853.  And  Easterns  never  appear  to  enter  a building  with 
a white  wall  without  inditing  upon  it  platitudes  in  verse  and 
prose.  Influenced  by  these  considerations,  I drew  forth  a 
pencil  and  inscribed  in  the  Kubbat  El  Sanaya, 

u Abdullah,  the  servant  of  Allah.” 

(a.  h.  1269.) 

* In  the  Persian  character  the  word  Umr,  life,  and  Umar,  the  name 
of  the  hated  caliph,  are  written  exactly  in  the  same  way;  which 
explains  the  pun. 


270  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINA!!  AND  MECCAH. 

Issuing  from  the  dome  we  turned  a few  paces  to  the 
left,  passed  northwards,  and  blessed  the  martyrs  of  Ohod. 

Then  again  we  moved  a few  paces  forward  and  went 
through  a similar  ceremony,  supposing  ourselves  to  be  in 
the  cave  that  sheltered  the  Prophet.  After  which,  return- 
ing towards  the  torrent-bed  by  the  way  we  came,  we  stood 
a small  distance  from  a cupola  called  Kubbat  El  Masra. 
We  faced  towards  it  and  finished  the  ceremonies  of  this 
Ziyarat  by  a supplication,  the  Testification,  and  the  Fat- 
hah. 

In  the  evening  I went  with  my  friends  to  the  Haram. 
The  minaret  galleries  were  hung  with  lamps,  and  the  inside 
of  the  temple  was  illuminated.  It  was  crowded  with  Hajis, 
amongst  whom  were  many  women,  a circumstance  which 
struck  me  from  its  being  unusual.*  Some  pious  pilgrims, 
who  had  duly  paid  for  the  privilege,  were  perched  upon 
ladders  trimming  wax  candles  of  vast  dimensions,  others 
were  laying  up  for  themselves  rewards  in  paradise,  by  per- 
forming the  same  office  to  the  lamps ; many  were  going 
through  the  ceremonies  of  Ziyarat,  and  not  a few  were 
sitting  in  different  parts  of  the  mosque  apparently  over- 
whelmed with  emotion.  The  boys  and  the  beggars  were 
inspired  with  fresh  energy,  the  Aghawat  were  gruffer  and 
surlier  than  I had  ever  seen  them,  and  the  young  men 
about  town  walked  and  talked  with  a freer  and  an  easier 
demeanor  than  usual.  My  old  friends  the  Persians — there 
were  about  1200  of  them  in  the  Hajj  caravan — attracted 
my  attention.  The  doorkeepers  stopped  them  with  curses 
as  they  were  about  to  enter,  and  all  claimed  from  each  the 
sum  of  five  piastres,  whilst  other  Moslems  are  allowed  to 

* The  Prophet  preferred  women  and  young  boys  to  pray  privately, 
and  in  some  parts  of  El  Islam  they  are  not  allowed  to  join  a congrega- 
tion. At  El  Medinah,  however,  it  is  no  longer,  as  in  Burckhardt’s  time, 
“ thought  very  indecorous  in  women  to  enter  the  mosque.” 


THE  PERSIAN  PILGRIMS. 


271 


enter  the  mosque  free.  Unhappy  men ! they  had  lost  all 
the  Shiraz  swagger,  their  mustachios  drooped  pitiably,  their 
eyes  would  not  look  any  one  in  the  face,  and  not  a head 
bore  a cap  stuck  upon  it  crookedly.  Whenever  an  “ Ajemi,” 
whatever  might  be  his  rank,  stood  in  the  way  of  an  Arab 
or  a Turk,  he  was  rudely  thrust  aside,  with  abuse,  mut- 
tered loud  enough  to  be  heard  by  all  around.  All  eyes 
followed  them  as  they  went  through  the  ceremonies  of 
Ziyarat,  especially  as  they  approached  the  tombs  of  Abu- 
bekr  and  Omar, — which  every  man  is  bound  to  defile  if  he 
can, — and  the  supposed  place  of  Fatimah’s  burial.  Here 
they  stood  in  parties,  after  praying  before  the  Prophet’s 
window:  one  read  from  a book  the  pathetic  tale  of  the 
Lady’s  life,  sorrows,  and  mourning  death,  whilst  the  others 
listened  to  him  with  breathless  attention.  Sometimes  their 
emotion  was  too  strong  to  be  repressed.  “ Ay  Fatimah  ! 
Ay  Mazlumah  ! Way!  way  ! — O Fatimah!  O thou 
injured  one  ! Alas  ! alas!” — burst  involuntarily  from  their 
lips,  despite  the  danger  of  such  exclamations,  tears  trickled 
down  their  hairy  cheeks,  and  their  brawny  bosoms  heaved 
with  sobs.  A strange  sight  it  was  to  see  rugged  fellows, 
mountaineers,  perhaps,  or  the  fierce  Iliyat  of  the  plains, 
sometimes  weeping  silently  like  children,  sometimes  shriek- 
ing like  hysteric  girls,  and  utterly  careless  to  conceal  a 
grief  so  coarse  and  grisly,  at  the  same  time  so  true  and 
real,  that  we  knew  not  how  to  behold  it.  Then  the  Satanic 
scowls  with  which  they  passed  by  or  pretended  to  pray  at 
the  hated  Omar’s  tomb ! With  what  curses  their  hearts 
are  belying  those  mouths  full  of  blessings ! How  they  are 
internally  canonising  Fayruz,*  and  praying  for  his  eternal 
happiness  in  the  presence  of  the  murdered  man ! Sticks 
and  stones,  however,  and  not  unfrequently  the  knife  and 


* The  Persian  slave  who  stabbed  Omar  in  the  mosque. 


272  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

the  sabre,  have  taught  them  the  hard  lesson  of  disciplining 
their  feelings,  and  nothing  but  a furious  contraction  of  the 
brow,  a roll  of  the  eye,  intensely  vicious,  and  a twitching 
of  the  muscles  about  the  region  of  the  mouth,  denotes  the 
wild  storm  of  wrath  within.  They  generally,  too,  manage 
to  discharge  some  part  of  their  passion  in  words.  “ Hail 
Omar  thou  hog  !”  exclaims  some  fanatic  Madani  as  he 
passes  by  the  heretic — a demand  more  outraging  than 
requiring  a red-hot,  black-north  Protestant  to  bless  the 
Pope.  “ O Allah  ! hell  him !”  meekly  responds  the  Persian, 
changing  the  benediction  to  a curse  most  intelligible  to,  and 
most  delicious  in  his  fellows’  ears.f 

I found  an  evening  hour  in  the  steamy  heat  of  the 
Haram,  equal  to  half  a dozen  afternoons  ; and  left  it 
resolved  not  to  visit  it  till  the  Hajj  departed  from  El 
Medinah.  It  was  only  prudent  not  to  see  much  of  the 
Ajemis;  and  as  I did  so  somewhat  ostentatiously,  my  com- 
panions discovered  that  the  Haj  Abdullah,  having  slain 
many  of  those  heretics  in  some  war  or  other,  was  avoiding 
them  to  escape  retaliation.  In  proof  of  my  generalistic 
qualities,  the  rolling  down  of  the  water  jar  upon  the  heads 
of  the  Maghribi  pilgrims  in  the  “ Golden  Thread”  was 
quoted,  and  all  offered  to  fight  for  me  a Voutrance . I took 
care  not  to  contradict  the  report. 

* I have  heard  of  a Persian  being  beaten  to  death,  because  instead 
of  saying  “peace  be  with  thee,  Ya  Omar,”  he  insisted  upon  saying 
“ peace  be  with  thee,  Ya  Hum&r  (0  ass !)” 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


THE  PEOPLE  OF  EL  MEDINAH. 

El  Medinah  contains  but  few  families  descended  from 
the  Prophet’s  auxiliaries.  I heard  only  four  whose  genea- 
logy is  undoubted.  These  were, — 

1.  The  Bait  el  Ansari,  or  descendants  of  Abu  Ayyub,  a 
most  noble  race  whose  tree  ramifies  through  a space  of  1500 
years.  They  keep  the  keys  of  the  Kuba  mosque,  and  are 
Imams  in  the  Haram,  but  the  family  is  no  longer  wealthy  or 
powerful. 

2.  The  Bait  Abu  Jud:  they  supply  the  Haram  with 
Imams  and  Muezzins.  I was  told  that  there  are  now  but 
two  surviving  members  of  this  family,  a boy  and  a girl. 

3.  The  Bait  el  Shaab,  a numerous  race.  Some  of  the 
members  travel  professionally,  others  trade,  and  others  are 
employed  in  the  Haram. 

4.  The  Bait  el  Karrani,  who  are  mostly  engaged  in 
commerce. 

There  is  also  a race  called  el  Xakhawilah,  who,  accord- 
ing to  some,  are  descendants  of  the  Ansar,  whilst  others 
derive  them  from  Yezid,  the  son  of  Muawiyah : the  latter 
opinion  is  improbable,  as  the  Caliph  in  question  y^as  the 

12* 


274  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

mortal  foe  to  Ali’s  family,  which  is  inordinately  venerated 
by  these  people.  As  far  as  I could  ascertain,  they  abuse 
the  Shaykhain  :*  all  my  informants  agreed  upon  this  point, 
but  none  could  tell  me  why  they  neglected  to  bedevil 
Osman,  the  third  object  of  hatred  to  the  Shiah  persuasion. 
They  are  numerous  and  warlike,  yet  they  are  despised 
by  the  townspeople,  because  they  openly  profess  heresy, 
and,  are  moreover  of  humble  degree.  They  have  their 
own  priests  and  instructors,  although  subject  to  the  ortho- 
dox Kazi,  marry  in  their  own  sect,  are  confined  to  low 
offices,  such  as  slaughtering  animals,  sweeping,  and  garden- 
ing, and  are  not  allowed  to  enter  the  Haram  during  life,  or 
to  be  carried  to  it  after  death.  Their  corpses  are  taken 
down  an  outer  street  called  the  Darb  el  Jenazah — Road 
of  Biers — to  their  own  cemetery  near  El  Bakia.  They 
dress  and  speak  Arabic,  like  the  townspeople ; but  the 
Arabs  pretend  to  distinguish  them  by  a peculiar  look 
denoting  their  degradation, — doubtless  the  mistake  of 
effect  for  cause,  made  about  all  such 

‘‘Tribes  of  the  wandering  foot  and  weary  breast.” 

A number  of  reports  are  current  about  the  horrid 
customs  of  these  people,  and  their  community  of  women 
with  the  Persian  pilgrims  who  pass  through  the  town.  It 
need  scarcely  be  said  that  such  tales  coming  from  the 
mouths  of  fanatic  foes  are  not  to  be  credited.  I regret  not 
having  had  an  opportunity  to  become  intimate  with  any 
of  the  Nakhawilah,  from  whom  curious  information  might 
be  elicited.  Orthodox  Moslems  do  not  like  to  be  ques- 
tioned about  such  hateful  subjects ; when  I attempted  to 
learn  something  from  one  of  my  acquaintance,  Shaykh  Ula 
el  Din,  of  a Kurd  family,  settled  at  El  Medinah,  a man  who 

* The  “ two  Shaykhs”— Abtjbekr  and  Omar. 


THE  MEDINITES. 


275 


had  travelled  over  the  East,  and  who  spoke  five  languages 
to  perfection,  he  coldly  replied  that  he  had  never  consorted 
with  these  heretics.  Sayyids  and  Sherifs,  the  descendants 
of  the  Prophet,  here  abound. 

There  are  about  200  families  of  Sayyid  Alawiyah, — 
descendants  of  Ali  by  any  of  his  wives  but  Fatimah, — they 
bear  no  distinctive  mark  in  dress  or  appearance,  and  are 
either  employed  at  the  temple  or  engage  in  trade.  Of  the 
Khalifiyyah,  or  descendants  of  Abbas,  there  is,  I am  told, 
but  one  household,  who  act  as  Imams  in  the  Haram,  and 
have  charge  of  Hamzah’s  tomb.  Some  declare  that  there 
are  a few  of  the  Siddikiyah,  or  descendants  from  Abubekr ; 
others  ignored  them. 

The  rest  of  the  population  of  El  Medinah  is  a motley 
race  composed  of  offshoots  from  every  nation  in  El  Islam. 
The  sanctity  of  the  city  attracts  strangers,  who,  purposing 
to  stay  but  a short  time,  become  residents:  after  finding 
some  employment,  they  marry,  have  families,  die,  and  are 
buried  there,  with  an  eye  to  the  spiritual  advantages  of  the 
place.  I was  much  importuned  to  stay  at  El  Medinah. 
The  only  known  physician  was  one  Shaykh  Abdullah  Sahib, 
an  Indian,  a learned  man,  but  of  so  melancholic  a tempera- 
ment, and  so  ascetic  in  his  habits,  that  his  knowledge  was 
entirely  lost  to  the  public.  The  present  ruling  race  at  El 
Medinah,  in  consequence  of  political  vicissitudes,  are  the 
sons  of  Turkish  fathers  by  Arab  mothers.  These  half-castes 
are  now  numerous,  and  have  managed  to  secure  the  highest 
and  most  lucrative  offices.  Besides  Turks,  there  are  fami- 
lies originally  from  the  Maghrib,  Takruris,  Egyptians  in 
considerable  numbers,  settlers  from  Yemen  and  other  parts 
of  Arabia,  Syrians,  Kurds,  Afghans,  Daghistani  from  the 
Caucasus,  and  a few  Jawi — Java  Moslems.  The  Indians 
are  not  so  numerous  in  proportion  here  as  at  Meccah ; still 
Hindostani  is  by  no  means  uncommonly  heard  in  the  streets. 


276  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

They  preserve  their  peculiar  costume,  the  women  persisting 
in  showing  their  faces,  and  in  wearing  tight,  exceedingly 
tight,  pantaloons.  This,  together  with  other  reasons, 
secures  for  them  the  contempt  of  the  Arabs.  At  El  Me- 
dinah  they  are  generally  small  shopkeepers,  especially  drug- 
gists and  sellers  of  Kumash  (cloths),  and  form  a society  of 
their  own. 

The  citizens  of  El  Medinah  are  a favored  race,  al- 
though their  city  is  not,  like  Meccah,  the  grand  mart  of 
the  Moslem  world  or  the  meeting-place  of  nations.  They 
pay  no  taxes,  and  reject  the  idea  of  a 44  Miri,”  or  land-cess, 
with  extreme  disdain.  44  Are  we,  the  children  of  the  Pro- 
phet,” they  exclaim,  “to  support  or  to  be  supported  ?”  The 
Wahhabis,  not  understanding  the  argument,  taxed  them, 
as  was  their  wont,  in  specie  and  in  materials,  for  which 
reason  the  very  name  of  the  Puritans  is  an  abomination. 
As  has  before  been  shown,  all  the  numerous  attendants  at 
the  mosque  are  paid  partly  by  the  Sultan,  partly  by  aukaf, 
the  rents  of  houses  and  lands  bequeathed  to  the  shrine,  and 
scattered  over  every  part  of  the  Moslem  world.  When  a 
Madani  is  inclined  to  travel,  he  applies  to  the  Mudir 
el  Haram,  and  receives  from  him  a paper  which  en- 
titles him  to  the  receipt  of  a considerable  sum  at  Con- 
stantinople. 

The  Madani  traveller,  on  arrival  at  Constantinople, 
reports  his  arrival  to  his  consul,  the  Wakil  el  Haramain. 
This  “Agent  of  the  two  Holy  Places”  applies  to  the  Nazir 
el  Aukaf,  or  “Intendant  of  Bequests;”  the  latter,  after 
transmitting  the  demand  to  the  different  officers  of  the 
treasury,  sends  the  money  to  the  Wakil,  who  delivers  it  to 
the  applicant.  This  gift  is  sometimes  squandered  in  plea- 
sure, more  often  invested  profitably  either  in  merchandise 
or  in  articles  of  home-use,  presents  of  dress  and  jewellery 
for  the  women,  handsome  arms,  especially  pistols  and 


TRADE  AT  EL  MEDINAII. 


277 


5ato,*silk  tassels,  amber  pipe-pieces,  slippers,  and  embroider- 
ed purses.  They  are  packed  up  in  one  or  two  large  sahharahs 
(chests),  and  then  commences  the  labor  of  returning  home 
gratis.  I have  already  described  the  extent  of  mental  agi- 
tation caused  during  the  journey  by  these  precious  convoys. 
Besides  the  Ikram,  most  of  the  Madani,  when  upon  these 
begging  trips,  are  received  as  guests  by  great  men  at  Con- 
stantinople. The  citizens  whose  turn  it  is  not  to  travel, 
await  the  Aukaf  and  Sadakat,  forwarded  every  year  by  the 
Damascus  caravan ; besides  which,  as  has  been  before  ex- 
plained, the  Haram  supplies  even  those  not  officially  em- 
ployed in  it  with  many  perquisites. 

Without  these  advantages  El  Medinah  would  soon  be 
abandoned  to  cultivators  and  Bedouins.  Though  commerce 
is  here  honorable,  as  everywhere  in  the  East,  business  is 
“ slack,”  because  the  higher  classes  prefer  the  idleness  of 
administering  their  landed  estates,  and  being  servants  to 
the  mosque.  I heard  of  only  four  respectable  houses.  They 
all  deal  in  grain,  cloth,  and  provisions,  and  perhaps  the 
richest  have  a capital  of  20,000  dollars.  Caravans  in  the 
cold  weather  are  constantly  passing  between  El  Medinah 
and  Egypt,  but  they  are  rather  bodies  of  visitors  to  Con- 
stantinople than  traders  travelling  for  gain.  Corn  is 
brought  from  Jeddah  by  land,  and  imported  into  Yambu 
or  El  Rais,  a port  on  the  Red  Sea,  one  day  and  a half’s 
journey  from  Safra.  There  is  an  active  provision  trade 
with  the  neighboring  Bedouins,  and  the  Syrian  Hajj 
supplies  the  citizens  with  apparel  and  articles  of  luxury — 
tobacco,  dried  fruits,  sweetmeats,  knives,  and  all  that  is 
included  under  the  word  “ notions.”  There  are  few  store- 
keepers, and  their  dealings  are  petty,  because  articles  of 

* The  Turkish  “ yataghan.”  It  is  a long  dagger,  intended  for  thrust- 
ing rather  than  cutting. 


278  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINA II  AND  MECCAH. 

every  kind  are  brought  from  Egypt,  Syria,  and  Constan- 
tinople. As  a general  rule,  labor  is  exceedingly  expensive, 
and  at  the  visitation  time  a man  will  demand  fifteen  or 
twenty  piastres  from  a stranger  for  such  a trifling  job  as 
mending  an  umbrella.  Handicraftsmen  and  artisans — 
carpenters,  masons,  locksmiths,  potters  and  others,  are 
either  slaves  or  foreigners,  mostly  Egyptians.  This  pro- 
ceeds partly  from  the  pride  of  the  people.  They  are 
taught  from  their  childhood  that  the  Madani  is  a favored 
being,  to  be  respected  however  vile  or  schismatic,  and  that 
the  vengeance  of  Allah  will  fall  upon  any  one  who  ventures 
to  abuse,  much  more  to  strike  him.  They  receive  a stran- 
ger at  the  shop  window  with  the  haughtiness  of  Pachas, 
and  take  pains  to  show  him  by  words  as  well  as  by  looks, 
that  they  consider  themselves  as  “ good  gentlemen  as 
princes,  only  not  so  rich.”  Added  to  this  pride  are 
indolence,  and  the  true  Arab  prejudice,  which,  even  in 
the  present  day,  prevents  a Bedouin  from  marrying  the 
daughter  of  an  artisan.  Like  Castilians  they  consider 
labor  humiliating  to  any  but  a slave  ; nor  is  this,  as  a clever 
French  author  remarks,  by  any  means  an  unreasonable 
idea,  since  Heaven,  to  punish  man  for  disobedience,  caused 
him  to  eat  daily  bread  by  the  sweat  of  his  brow.  Besides, 
there  is  degradation,  moral  and  physical,  in  handiwork 
compared  with  the  freedom  of  the  desert.  The  loom  and 
the  file  do  not  conserve  courtesy  and  chivalry  like  the 
sword  and  spear ; man  extending  his  tongue,  to  use  an  Arab 
phrase,  when  a cuff  and  not  a stab  is  to  be  the  consequence 
of  an  injurious  expression.  Even  the  ruffian  becomes  polite 
in  California,  where  his  brother  ruffian  carries  a revolver, 
and  those  European  nations  who  were  most  polished  when 
every  gentleman  wore  a rapier  have  become  the  rudest 
since  Civilisation  disarmed  them. 

The  citizens,  despite  their  being  generally  in  debt,  ma- 


THE  HOUSEHOLD  AT  EL  MEDINAH. 


279 


nage  to  live  well.  Their  cookery,  like  that  of  Meccah,  has 
borrowed  something  from  Egypt,  Turkey,  Syria,  Persia, 
and  India ; like  all  Orientals  they  are  exceedingly  fond  of 
clarified  butter.*  I have  seen  the  boy  Mohammed  drink 
off  nearly  a tumbler  full,  although  his  friends  warned  him 
that  it  would  make  him  as  fat  as  an  elephant.  When  a 
man  cannot  enjoy  clarified  butter  in  these  countries,  it  is 
considered  a sign  that  his  stomach  is  out  of  order,  and  all 
my  excuses  of  a melancholic  temperament  were  required  to 
be  in  full  play  to  prevent  the  infliction  of  fried  meat  swim- 
ming in  grease,  or  that  guest-dish,  rice  saturated  with  melt- 
ed— perhaps  I should  say — rancid  butter.  The  house  of  a 
Madani  in  good  circumstances  is  comfortable,  for  the  build- 
ing is  substantial,  and  the  attendance  respectable.  Black 
slave-girls  here  perform  the  complicated  duties  of  servant- 
maids  in  England ; they  are  taught  to  sew,  to  cook,  and  to 
wash,  besides  sweeping  the  house  and  drawing  water  for 
domestic  use.  Hasinah  (the  44  Charmer,”  a decided  misno- 
mer) costs  from  40  to  50  dollars : if  she  be  a mother,  her 
value  is  less,  but  neat-handedness,  propriety  of  demeanor, 
and  skill  in  feminine  accomplishments,  raise  her  to  100  dol- 
lars, 25£.  A little  black  boy,  perfect  in  all  his  points,  and 
tolerably  intelligent,  costs  about  1000  piastres;  girls  are 
dearer,  and  eunuchs  fetch  double  that  sum.  The  older  the 
children  become,  the  more  their  value  diminishes,  and  no 
one  would  purchase,  save  under  exceptional  circumstances, 
an  adult  slave,  because  he  is  never  parted  with  but  for 

* Physiologists  have  remarked  that  fat  and  greasy  food,  containing 
a quantity  of  carbon,  is  peculiar  to  cold  countries,  whereas  the  inhabit- 
ants of  the  tropics  delight  in  fruits,  vegetables,  and  articles  of  diet 
which  do  not  increase  caloric.  This  must  be  taken  cum  grano.  In 
Italy,  Spain,  and  Greece,  the  general  use  of  olive  oil  begins.  In  Africa 
and  Asia,  especially  in  the  hottest  parts,  the  people  habitually  eat 
enough  clarified  butter  to  satisfy  an  Esquimaux. 


280  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

some  incurable  vice.  The  Abyssinian,  mostly  Galla,  girls, 
so  much  prized  because  their  skins  are  always  cool  in  the 
hottest  weather,  are  here  rare;  they  seldom  sell  for  less 
than  20?.,  and  often  fetch  60?.  I never  heard  of  a Jariyah 
Bayza,  a white  slave-girl,  being  in  the  market  at  El  Medi- 
nah  : in  Circassia  they  fetch  from  100?.  to  400?.  prime  cost, 
and  few  men  in  El  Hejaz  could  afford  so  expensive  a luxury. 
The  bazaar  at  El  Medinah  is  poor,  and,  as  almost  all  the 
slaves  are  brought  from  Meccah  by  the  Jallabs,  or  drivers, 
after  exporting  the  best  to  Egypt,  the  town  receives  only 
the  refuse.* 

The  personal  appearance  of  the  Madani  makes  the  stran- 
ger wonder  how  this  mongrel  population  of  settlers  has 
acquired  a peculiar  and  almost  an  Arab  physiognomy.  They 
are  remarkably  fair,  the  effect  of  a cold  climate ; sometimes 
the  cheeks  are  lighted  up  with  red,  and  the  hair  is  a dark 
chestnut — at  El  Medinah  I was  not  stared  at  as  a white  man. 
In  some  points  they  approach  the  true  Arab  type,  that  is  to 
say,  the  Bedouins  of  ancient  and  noble  family.  The  cheek- 
bones are  high  and  saillant , the  eye  small,  more  round  than 
long,  piercing,  fiery,  deep-set,  and  brown  rather  than  black. 
The  head  is  small,  the  ears  well-cut,  the  face  long  and  oval, 
though  not  unfrequently  disfigured  by  what  is  popularly 
called  the  “ lantern-jaw  the  forehead  high,  bony,  broad, 
and  slightly  retreating,  and  the  beard  and  mustachios  scanty, 
consisting  of  two  tufts  upon  the  chin,  with,  generally  speak- 
ing, little  or  no  whisker.  These  are  the  points  of  resem- 
blance between  the  city  and  the  country  Arab.  The  dif- 
ference is  equally  remarkable.  The  temperament  of  the 

* Some  of  these  slaves  come  from  Abyssinia : the  greater  part  are 
driven  from  the  Galla  country,  and  exported  at  the  harbors  of  the  So- 
mauli  coast,  Berberah,  Tajurrah,  and  Zayla.  As  many  as  2000  slaves 
from  the  former  place,  and  4000  from  the  latter,  are  annually  shipped 
oif  to  Mocha,  Jeddah,  Suez,  and  Muscat. 


DRESS  OF  THE  MADANI. 


281 


Madani  is  not  purely  nervous,  like  that  of  the  Bedouins,  but 
admits  a large  admixture  of  the  bilious  and,  though  rarely, 
the  lymphatic.  The  cheeks  are  fuller,  the  jaws  project  more 
than  in  the  pure  race,  the  lips  are  more  fleshy,  more  sensual 
and  ill-fitting,  the  features  are  broader,  and  the  limbs  are 
stouter  and  more  bony.  The  beard  is  a little  thicker,  and 
the  young  Arabs  of  the  towns  are  beginning  to  imitate  the 
Turks  in  that  abomination  to  their  ancestors — shaving. 
Personal  vanity,  always  a ruling  passion  among  Orientals, 
and  a hopeless  wish  to  emulate  the  flowing  beards  of  the 
Turks  and  the  Persians — the  only  nations  in  the  world  who 
ought  not  to  shave  the  chin — have  overruled  even  the  reli- 
gious objections  to  such  innovation.  I was  more  frequently 
appealed  to  at  El  Medinah  than  anywhere  else,  for  some 
means  of  removing  the  opprobrium  u Kusah.”*  They  dye 
the  beard  with  gall  nuts,  henna,  and  other  preparations. 
Much  refinement  of  dress  is  now  found  at  El  Medinah,  Con- 
stantinople, the  Paris  of  the  East,  supplying  it  with  the 
newest  fashions.  The  women  dress,  like  the  men,  hand- 
somely. In-doors  they  wear,  I am  told,  a boddice  of  calico 
and  other  stuffs,  which  supports  the  bosom  without  the  evils 
of  European  stays.  Over  this  is  a wide  shirt,  of  the  white 
stuff  called  Halaili  or  Burunjuk,  with  enormous  sleeves,  and 
flowing  down  to  the  feet : the  pantaloons  are  not  wide,  like 
the  Egyptians,  but  rather  tight,  approaching  to  the  Indian 
cut,  without  its  exaggeration.  Abroad,  they  throw  over 
the  head  a silk  or  a cotton  Milayah,  generally  chequered 
white  and  blue.  Women  of  all  ranks  dye  the  soles  of  the 
feet  and  the  palms  of  the  hands  black,  and  trace  thin  lines 
down  the  inside  of  the  fingers,  by  first  applying  a plaster  of 
henna  and  then  a mixture,  called  “ Shadar,”  of  gall  nuts, 
alum,  and  lime.  The  hair,  parted  in  the  centre,  is  plaited 


* A <c  scant-bearded  man.’ 


282  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

into  about  twenty  little  twists  called  Jadilah.*  Of  orna- 
ments, as  usual  among  Orientals,  they  have  a vast  variety, 
ranging  from  brass  and  spangles  to  gold  and  precious  stones ; 
and  they  delight  in  strong  perfumes — musk,  civet,  amber- 
gris, attar  of  rose,  oil  of  jasmine,  aloe-wood,  and  extract  of 
cinnamon.  Both  sexes  wear  Constantinople  slippers.  The  wo- 
men draw  on  Khuff,  inner  slippers,  of  bright  yellow  leather, 
serving  for  socks,  and  covering  the  ancle,  with  papooshes 
of  the  same  material,  sometimes  lined  with  velvet  and  em- 
broidered with  a gold  sprig  under  the  hollow  of  the  foot. 
In  mourning  the  men  show  no  difference  of  dress,  like  good 
Moslems,  to  whom  such  display  of  grief  is  forbidden.  But 
the  women,  who  cannot  dissociate  the  heart  and  the  toilette, 
evince  their  sorrow  by  wearing  white  clothes  and  by  doffing 
their  ornaments.  This  is  a modern  custom : the  accurate 
Burckhardt  informs  us  that  in  his  day  the  women  of  El 
Medinah  did  not  wear  mourning. 

The  Madani  generally  appear  abroad  on  foot.  Few 
animals  are  kept  here,  on  account,  I suppose,  of  the  expense 
of  feeding  them.  The  Cavalry  are  mounted  on  poor  Egyp- 
tian nags.  The  horses  ridden  by  rich  men  are  generally 
Nejdi,  costing  from  200  to  300  dollars.  Camels  are  nume- 
rous, but  those  bred  in  El  Hejaz  are  small,  weak,  and  con- 
sequently little  prized.  Dromedaries  of  good  breed  are  to 
be  had  for  any  sum  between  10  and  400  dollars;  they  are 
diminutive  but  exceedingly  swift,  sure-footed,  sagacious, 
thorough-bred,  with  eyes  like  the  antelope,  and  muzzles  that 
would  almost  enter  a tumbler.  Mules  are  not  found  at  El 
Medinah,  although  popular  prejudice  does  not  now  forbid 
the  people  to  mount  them.  Asses  come  from  Egypt  and 
Meccah. 

* In  the  plural  called  Jedail.  It  is  a most  becoming  head-dress 
when  the  hair  is  thick,  and  when — which  I regret  to  say  is  rare  in  Ara- 
bia— the  twists  are  undone  for  ablution  once  a day. 


MANNERS  OF  THE  MADANI. 


283 


The  manners  of  the  Madani  are  graver  and  somewhat 
more  pompous  than  those  of  any  Arabs  with  whom  I ever 
mixed.  This  they  appear  to  have  borrowed  from  their 
rulers,  the  Turks.  But  their  austerity  and  ceremoniousness 
are  skin  deep.  In  intimacy  or  in  anger  the  garb  of  polite- 
ness is  thrown  off,  and  the  screaming  Arab  voice,  the  voluble, 
copious,  and  emphatic  abuse,  and  the  mania  for  gesticula- 
tion, return  in  all  their  deformity.  They  are  great  talkers, 
as  the  following  little  trait  shows.  When  a man  is  opposed 
to  more  than  his  match  in  disputing  or  bargaining,  instead 
of  patiently  saying  to  himself  sHl  crache  il  est  mort , he  inter- 
rupts the  adversary  with  a “ Sail’  ala  Mohammed,” — bless 
the  Prophet.  Every  good  Moslem  is  obliged  to  obey  such 
requisition  by  responding,  “ Allahumma  salli  alayh,” — O 
Allah  bless  him!  But  the  Madani  curtails  the  phrase  to 
“ A’n,”  supposing  it  to  be  an  equivalent,  and  proceeds  in  his 
loquacity.  Then  perhaps  the  baffled  opponent  will  shout 
out  “ Wahhid,”  i,  e.  “ Attest  the  unity  of  the  Deity when, 
instead  of  employing  the  usual  religious  phrases  to  assert 
that  dogma,  he  will  briefly  ejaculate  “ Al,”  and  hurry  on 
with  the  course  of  conversation.  As  it  may  be  supposed, 
these  wars  of  words  frequently  end  in  violent  quarrels.  For, 
to  do  the  Madani  justice,  they  are  always  ready  to  fight. 

It  is  not  to  be  believed  that  in  a town  garrisoned  by 
Turkish  troops,  full  of  travelled  traders,  and  which  supports 
itself  by  plundering  Hajis,  the  primitive  virtues  of  the  Arab 
could  exist.  The  Meccans,  a dark  people,  say  of  the 
Madani  that  their  hearts  are  black  as  their  skins  are  white. 
This  is  of  course  exaggerated ; but  it  is  not  too  much  to 
assert  that  pride,  pugnacity,  a peculiar  point  of  honor,  and 
a vindictiveness  of  wonderful  force  and  patience,  are  the 
only  characteristic  traits  of  Arab  character  which  the 
citizens  of  El  Medinah  habitually  display.  Here  you  meet 
with  scant  remains  of  the  chivalry  of  the  desert.  A man 


284  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

will  abuse  his  guest,  even  though  he  will  not  dine  without 
him,  and  would  protect  him  bravely  against  an  enemy. 
And  words  often  pass  lightly  between  individuals  which 
suffice  to  cause  a blood  feud  amongst  Bedouins.  The  out- 
ward appearance  of  decorum  is  conspicuous  amongst  the 
Madani.  There  are  no  places  where  Corinthians  dwell,  as 
at  Meccah,  Cairo,  and  Jeddah.  Adultery,  if  detected, 
would  be  punished  by  lapidation  according  to  the  rigor  of 
the  Koranic  law,  and  simple  immorality  by  religious  stripes, 
or,  if  of  repeated  occurrence,  by  expulsion  from  the  city.  But 
scandals  seldom  occur,  and  the  women,  I am  told,  behave 
with  great  decency.  Abroad,  they  have  the  usual  Moslem 
pleasures  of  marriage,  lyings-in,  circumcision  feasts,  holy 
visitations,  and  funerals.  At  home,  they  employ  them- 
selves with  domestic  matters,  and  especially  in  scolding 
“ Hasinah  ” and  “ Zaaferan.”  In  this  occupation  they  sur- 
pass even  the  notable  English  house-keeper  of  the  middle 
orders  of  society — the  latter  being  confined  to  u knagging 
at  ” her  slave,  whereas  the  Arab  lady  is  allowed  an  un- 
bounded extent  of  vocabulary.  At  Shaykh  Hamid’s  house, 
however,  I cannot  accuse  the  women  of 

“ Swearing  into  strong  shudders 
The  immortal  gods  who  heard  them.” 

They  abused  the  black  girls  with  unction,  but  without  any 
violent  expletives.  At  Meccah,  however,  the  old  lady  in 
whose  house  I was  living  would,  when  excited  by  the  me- 
lancholy temperament  of  her  eldest  son  and  his  irregular 
hours  of  eating,  scold  him  in  the  grossest  terms  not  unfre- 
quently  ridiculous  in  the  extreme.  For  instance,  one  of  her 
assertions  was  that  he — the  son — was  the  offspring  of  an 
immoral  mother ; which  assertion,  one  might  suppose, 
reflected  not  indirectly  upon  herself.  So  in  Egypt  I have 


PERSONAL  CONCEIT. 


285 


frequently  heard  a father,  when  reproving  his  boy,  address 
him  by  “ O dog,  son  of  a dog  ! ” and  “ O spawn  of  an  infi- 
del— of  a Jew — of  a Christian.”  Amongst  the  men  of  El 
Medinah  I remarked  a considerable  share  of  hypocrisy. 
Their  mouths  were  as  full  of  religious  salutations,  exclama- 
tions, and  hacknied  quotations  from  the  Koran  as  of  inde- 
cency and  vile  abuse, — a point  in  which  they  resemble  the 
Persians.  As  before  observed,  they  preserve  their  repu- 
tation as  the  sons  of  a holy  city  by  praying  only  in  public. 
At  Constantinople  they  are  by  no  means  remarkable  for 
sobriety.  Intoxicating  liquors,  especially  araki,  are  made 
in  El  Medinah  only  by  the  Turks ; the  citizens  seldom  in- 
dulge in  this  way  at  home,  as  detection  by  smell  is 
imminent  among  a people  of  water-bibbers.  During  the 
whole  time  of  my  stay  I had  to  content  myself  with  a single 
bottle  of  cognac,  colored  and  scented  to  resemble  medicine. 
The  Madani  are,  like  the  Meccans,  a curious  mixture  of 
generosity  and  meanness,  of  profuseness  and  penuriousness. 
But  the  former  quality  is  the  result  of  ostentation,  the  latter 
a characteristic  of  the  Semitic  race,  long  ago  made  familiar 
to  Europe  by  the  Jew.  Above  all  their  qualities,  personal 
conceit  is  remarkable ; they  show  it  in  their  strut,  in  their 
looks,  and  almost  in  every  word.  “ I am  such  a one,  the 
son  of  such  a one,”  is  a common  expletive,  especially  in 
times  of  danger ; and  this  spirit  is  not  wholly  to  be  con- 
demned, as  it  certainly  acts  as  an  incentive  to  gallant 
actions.  But  it  often  excites  them  to  vie  with  one  another 
in  expensive  entertainments  and  similar  vanities.  Upon  the 
whole,  though  alive  to  the  infirmities  of  the  Madani  charac- 
ter, I thought  favorably  of  it,  finding  among  this  people 
more  of  the  redeeming  point,  manliness,  than  in  most 
Eastern  nations  with  whom  I am  acquainted. 

The  Arabs,  like  the  Egyptians,  all  marry.  Yet,  as 
usual,  they  are  hard  and  facetious  upon  that  ill-treated  sub- 


286  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINA H AND  MECCAH. 

ject  matrimony.  It  has  exercised  not  a little  the  brain  of 
their  wits  and  sages,  who  have  not  failed  to  indite  notable 
things  concerning  it.  Saith  “ Harikar  el  Hakim”  to  his 
nephew  Nadan,  whom  he  would  dissuade  from  taking  to 
himself  a wife,  “ Marriage  is  joy  for  a month  and  sorrow 
for  life,  and  the  paying  of  settlements  and  the  breaking  of 
back  (i.  e.  under  the  load  of  misery),  and  the  listening  to  a 
woman’s  tongue  !”  And  again,  we  have  in  verse  : — 

“ They  said,  ‘ Marry  1*  I replied,  ‘ far  be  it  from  me 
To  take  to  my  bosom  a sackful  of  snakes. 

I am  free — why  then  become  a slave  ? 

May  Allah  never  bless  womankind  1’  ” 

And  the  following  lines  are  generally  quoted,  as  affording 
a kind  of  bird’s-eye  view  of  female  existence : — 

“ From  10  (years  of  age)  unto  20, 

A repose  to  the  eyes  of  beholders. 

From  20  unto  30, 

Still  fair  and  full  of  flesh. 

From  30  unto  40, 

A mother  of  many  boys  and  girls. 

From  40  unto  50, 

An  old  woman  of  the  deceitful. 

From  50  unto  60, 

Slay  her  with  a knife. 

From  60  unto  70, 

The  curse  of  Allah  upon  them,  one  and  all ! 

Another  popular  couplet  makes  a most  unsupported  asser- 
tion : — 

“ They  declare  womankind  to  be  heaven  to  man, 

I say,  ‘ Allah  give  me  Jehannum,  and  not  this  heaven.’  ” 

Yet  the  fair  sex  has  the  laugh  on  its  side,  for  these  railers, 
at  El  Medinah  as  in  other  places,  invariably  marry.  The 


CEREMONY  OF  MARRIAGE. 


287 


ceremony  is  tedious  and  expensive.  It  begins  with  a Khit- 
bah  or  betrothal : the  father  of  the  young  man  repairs  to 
the  parent  or  guardian  of  the  marriageable  girl,  and  at  the 
end  of  his  visit  exclaims,  “ The  Fat-Hah ! we  beg  of  your 
kindness  your  daughter  for  our  son.”  Should  the  other  be 
favorable  to  the  proposal,  his  reply  is,  “ Welcome  and  con- 
gratulation to  you ; but  we  must  perform  Istikharah 
and  when  consent  is  given,  both  pledge  themselves  to  the 
agreement  by  reciting  the  Fat-Hah.  Then  commence  ne- 
gotiations about  the  Mahr  or  sum  settled  upon  the  bride  ;f 
and  after  the  smoothing  of  this  difficulty  follow  feastings 
of  friends  and  relatives,  male  and  female.  The  marriage 
itself  is  called  Akd  el  Nikah  or  Ziwaj.  A Walimah  or 
banquet  is  prepared  by  the  father  of  the  ArisJ  at  his  own 
house,  and  the  Kazi  attends  to  perform  the  nuptial  cere- 
mony, the  girl’s  consent  being  obtained  through  her  W akil, 
any  male  relation  whom  she  commissions  to  act  for  her. 
Then,  with  great  pomp  and  circumstance,  the  Aris  visits 
his  Arusah  at  her  father’s  house  ; and  finally,  with  a Zuffah 
or  procession  and  sundry  ceremonies  at  the  Haram,  the 
bride  is  brought  to  her  new  home. 

Arab  funerals  are  as  simple  as  their  marriages  are  com- 
plicated. Neither  Naddabah  (myriologist  or  hired  keener), 

* This  means  consulting  the  will  of  the  Deity,  by  praying  for  a 
dream  in  sleep,  by  the  rosary,  by  opening  the  Koran,  and  other  such 
devices,  which  bear  blame  if  a negative  be  deemed  necessary.  It  is  a 
custom  throughout  the  Moslem  world,  a relic,  doubtless,  of  the  Azlam 
or  Kidah  (seven  divining-arrows)  of  the  Pagan  times.  At  El  Medinah 
it  is  generally  called  Khirah. 

\ Among  respectable  citizens  400  dollars  would  be  considered  a fair 
average  sum ; the  expense  of  the  ceremony  would  be  about  half.  This 
amount  of  ready  money  (150£.)  not  being  always  procurable,  many  of 
the  Madani  marry  late  in  life. 

\ El  Aris  is  the  bridegroom,  El  Arusah  the  bride. 


288  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

nor  indeed  any  female,  even  a relation,  is  present  at  burials, 
as  in  other  parts  of  the  Moslem  world,*  and  it  is  esteemed 
disgraceful  for  a man  to  w^eep  aloud.  The  Prophet,  who 
doubtless  had  heard  of  those  pagan  mournings,  where  an 
effeminate  and  unlimited  display  of  woe  was  often  termi- 
nated by  licentious  excesses,  like  our  half-heatlien  “ wakes,” 
forbad  aught  beyond  a decent  demonstration  of  grief.  And 
his  strong  good  sense  enabled  him  to  see  the  folly  of  pro- 
fessional mourners.  At  El  Medinah  the  corpse  is  interred 
shortly  after  decease.  The  bier  is  carried  through  the 
streets  at  a moderate  pace,  by  the  friends  and  the  relatives, 
these  bringing  up  the  rear.  Every  man  who  passes  lends 
his  shoulder  for  a minute,  a mark  of  respect  to  the  dead, 
and  also  considered  a pious  and  a prayerful  act.  Arrived 
at  the  Haram,  they  carry  the  corpse  in  visitation  to  the 
Prophet’s  window,  and  pray  over  it  at  Osman’s  niche. 
Finally,  it  is  interred  after  the  usual  Moslem  fashion  in  the 
cemetery  El  Bakia. 

El  Medinah,  though  pillaged  by  the  Wahhabis,  still 
abounds  in  books.  Near  the  Haram  are  two  Madrasah  or 
colleges — the  Mahmudiyah,  so  called  from  Sultan  Mahmud, 
and  that  of  Bashir  Agha : both  have  large  stores  of  the- 
ological and  other  works.  I also  heard  of  extensive  private 
collections,  particularly  of  one  belonging  to  the  chief  of  the 
Sayyids,  a certain  Mohammed  Jemal  el  Lail,  whose  father 
is  well  known  in  India.  Besides  which,  there  is  a large 
bequest  of  books  presented  to  the  mosque  or  entailed  upon 
particular  families.  The  celebrated  Mohammed  Ibn  Ab- 
dillah  El  Sannusi  has  removed  his  collection,  amounting,  it 
is  said,  to  8000  volumes,  from  El  Medinah  to  his  house  in 

* Boys  are  allowed  to  he  present,  but  they  are  not  permitted  to  cry. 
Of  their  so  misdemeaning  themselves  there  is  little  danger ; the  Arab 
in  these  matters  is  a man  from  his  cradle. 


STATE  OF  LEARNING  AT  EL  MEDINAII. 


289 


Jebel  Kubays  at  Meccah.  The  burial-place  of  the  Prophet 
no  longer  lies  open  to  the  charge  of  utter  ignorance  brought 
against  it  by  my  predecessor.  The  people  now  praise  their 
Ulema  for  learning,  and  boast  a superiority  in  respect  to 
science  over  Meccah.  Yet  many  students  leave  the  place 
for  Damascus  and  Cairo,  where  the  Riwak  El  Haramain 
(college  of  the  two  shrines)  in  the  Azhar  mosque  is  always 
crowded,  and  though  Omar  Effendi  boasted  to  me  that  his 
city  was  full  of  lore  “ as  an  egg  is  full  of  meat,”  he  did 
not  appear  the  less  anxious  to  attend  the  lectures  of  Egyp- 
tian professors.  But  none  of  my  informants  claimed  for  El 
Medinah  any  facilities  of  studying  other  than  the  purely 
religious  sciences.  Philosophy,  medicine,  arithmetic,  ma- 
thematics, and  algebra  cannot  be  learnt  here.  But  after 
denying  the  Madani  the  praise  of  varied  learning,  it  must 
be  owned  that  their  quick  observation  and  retentive  me- 
mories have  stored  up  for  them  an  abundance  of  superficial 
knowledge,  culled  from  conversations  in  the  market  and  in 
the  camp.  I found  it  impossible  here  to  display  those  feats 
which  in  Sindh,  Southern  Persia,  Eastern  Arabia,  and  many 
parts  of  India,  would  be  looked  upon  as  miraculous.  Most 
probably  one  of  the  company  had  witnessed  the  per- 
formance of  some  Italian  conjuror,  at  Constantinople  or 
Alexandria,  and  retained  a lively  recollection  of  every 
manoeuvre.  As  linguists  they  are  not  equal  to  the  Meccans, 
who  surpass  all  Orientals  excepting  only  the  Armenians ; 
the  Madani  seldom  know  Turkish,  and  more  rarely  still 
Persian  and  Indian.  Those  only  who  have  studied  in 
Egypt  chant  the  Koran  well.  The  citizens  speak  and 
pronounce  their  language  purely:  they  are  not  equal  to 
the  people  of  the  southern  Hejaz,  still  their  Arabic  is 
refreshing  after  the  horrors  of  Cairo  and  Muscat. 


13 


CHAPTER  XX. 


A VISIT  TO  THE  SAINTS’  CEMETERY. 

A quarrel  which  was  renewed  about  this  time  between 
two  rival  families  of  the  Beni  Harb  put  an  end  to  any  lin- 
gering possibility  of  my  prosecuting  my  journey  to  Muscat, 
as  originally  intended.  My  disappointment  was  bitter  at 
first,  but  consolation  soon  suggested  itself.  Under  the  most 
favorable  circumstances,  a Bedouin-trip  from  El  Medinah 
to  Muscat,  1500  or  1600  miles,  would  require  at  least  ten 
months ; whereas,  under  pain  of  losing  my  commission,*  I 
was  ordered  to  be  at  Bombay  before  the  end  of  March. 
Moreover,  entering  Arabia  by  El  Hejaz,  as  has  before  been 
said,  I was  obliged  to  leave  behind  all  my  instruments 
except  a watch  and  a pocket  compass,  so  the  benefit 
rendered  to  geography  by  my  trip  would  have  been  scanty. 
Still  remained  to  me  the  comfort  of  reflecting  that  possibly 
at  Meccah  some  opportunity  of  crossing  the  Peninsula 
might  present  itself.  At  any  rate  I had  the  certainty  of 
seeing  the  strange  wild  country  of  the  Hejaz,  and  of  being 
present  at  the  ceremonies  of  the  Holy  City. 

* The  parliamentary  limit  of  an  officer’s  leave  from  Tndia  is  five 
years:  if  he  overstay  that  period,  he  forfeits  his  commission. 


THE  BURIAL-PLACE  OF  THE  SAINTS. 


291 


I must  request  the  reader  to  bear  with  a Visitation  once 
more : we  shall  conclude  it  with  a ride  to  El  Bakia.  This 
venerable  spot  is  frequented  by  the  pious  every  day  after 
the  prayer  at  the  Prophet’s  Tomb,  and  especially  on  Fri- 
days. The  least  we  can  do  is  to  go  there  once. 

Our  party  started  one  morning, — on  donkeys,  as  usual, 
for  my  foot  was  not  yet  strong, — along  the  Darb  el  Jenazah 
round  the  southern  wall  of  the  town.  The  locomotives 
were  decidedly  slow,  principally  in  consequence  of  the  tent- 
ropes  which  the  Hajis  had  pinned  down  literally  over  the 
plain,  and  falls  were  by  no  means  infreqnent.  At  last  we 
arrived  at  the  end  of  the  Darb,  where  I committed  myself 
by  mistaking  the  decaying  place  of  those  miserable  schis- 
matics the  Nakhawilah  for  El  Bakia,  the  glorious  cemetery 
of  the  Saints.  Hamid  corrected  my  blunder  with  tartness, 
to  which  I replied  as  tartly,  that  in  our  country — Affghan- 
istan — we  burned  the  body  of  every  heretic  upon  whom  we 
could  lay  our  hands.  This  truly  Islamitic  custom  was  heard 
with  general  applause,  and  as  the  little  dispute  ended,  we 
stood  at  the  open  gate  of  El  Bakia.  Then  having  dis- 
mounted I sat  down  on  a low  Dakkali  or  stone  bench  within 
the  walls,  to  obtain  a general  view  and  to  prepare  for  the 
most  fatiguing  of  the  visitations. 

The  burial-place  of  the  Saints  is  an  irregular  oblong 
surrounded  by  walls  which  are  connected  with  the  suburb 
at  their  S.  W.  angle.  Around  it  palm  plantations  seem  to 
flourish.  It  is  small,  considering  the  extensive  use  made 
of  it : all  that  die  at  El  Medinah,  strangers  as  well  as 
natives,  except  only  heretics  and  schismatics,  expect  to  be 
interred  in  it.  It  must  be  choked  with  corpses,  which  it 
could  not  contain  did  not  the  Moslem  style  of  burial  greatly 
favor  rapid  decomposition,  and  it  has  all  the  inconveniences 
of  “ intramural  sepulture.”  The  gate  is  small  and  ignoble  ; 
a mere  doorway  in  the  wall.  Inside  there  are  no  flower- 


292  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

plots,  no  tall  trees,  in  fact  none  of  the  refinements  which 
lighten  the  gloom  of  the  Christian  burial-place  : the  build- 
ings are  simple,  they  might  even  be  called  mean.  Almost 
all  are  the  common  Arab  mosque,  cleanly  white-washed, 
and  looking  quite  new.  The  ancient  monuments  were 
levelled  to  the  ground  by  Saad  the  Wahhabi  and  his 
puritan  followers,  who  waged  pitiless  warfare  against  what 
must  have  appeared  to  them  magnificent  mausolea,  deeming 
as  they  did  a loose  heap  of  stones  sufficient  for  a grave.  In 
Burckhardt’s  time  the  whole  place  was  a “confused  ac- 
cumulation of  heaps  of  earth,  wide  pits,  and  rubbish, 
without  a single  regular  tomb-stone.”  The  present  erec- 
tions owe  their  existence,  I was  told,  to  the  liberality  of  the 
Sultans  Abd  El  Hamid  and  Mahmud. 

A poor  pilgrim  has  lately  started  on  his  last  journey,  and 
his  corpse,  unattended  by  friends  or  mourners,  is  carried 
upon  the  shoulders  of  hired  buriers  into  the  cemetery. 
Suddenly  they  stay  their  rapid  steps,  and  throw  the  body 
upon  the  ground.  There  is  a life-like  pliability  about  it 
as  it  falls,  and  the  tight  cerements  so  define  the  outlines 
that  the  action  makes  me  shudder.  It  looks  almost  as  if 
the  dead  pilgrim  were  conscious  of  what  is  about  to  occur. 
They  have  forgotten  their  tools;  one  man  starts  to  fetch 
them,  and  three  sit  down  to  smoke.  After  a time  a shallow 
grave  is  hastily  scooped  out.  The  corpse  is  packed  into  it 
with  such  unseemly  haste  that  earth  touches  it  in  all  direc- 
tions,— cruel  carelessness  among  Moslems,  who  believe  this 
to  torture  the  sentient  frame.  One  comfort  suggests  itself. 
The  poor  man  being  a pilgrim  has  died  Shahid — in  martyr- 
dom. Ere  long  his  spirit  shall  leave  El  Bakia, 

u And  he  on  honey-dew  shall  feed, 

And  drink  the  milk  of  Paradise.” 

I entered  the  holy  cemetery  right  foot  forwards,  as  if  it 


THE  TOMB  OF  OSMAN. 


293 


were  a mosque,  and  barefooted,  to  avoid  suspicion  of  being 
a heretic.  For  though  the  citizens  wear  their  shoes  in  the 
Bakia,  they  are  much  offended  at  seeing  the  Persians  fol- 
low their  example. 

Walking  down  a rough  narrow  path,  which  leads  from 
the  western  to  the  eastern  extremity  of  El  Bakia,  we  entered 
the  humble  mausoleum  of  the  caliph  Osman — Osman  “ El 
Mazlum,”  or  the  “ ill-treated,”  he  is  called  by  some  Moslem 
travellers.  When  he  was  slain,  his  friends  wished  to  bury 
him  by  the  Prophet  in  the  Hujrah,  and  Ayisha  made  no 
objection  to  the  measure.  But  the  people  of  Egypt  became 
violent,  swore  that  the  corpse  should  neither  be  buried  nor 
be  prayed  over,  and  only  permitted  it  to  be  removed  upon 
the  threat  of  Habibah  (one  of  the  “ Mothers”  of  the  Mos- 
lems, and  daughter  of  Abu  Sufiyan)  to  expose  her  counte- 
nance. During  the  night  that  followed  his  death  Osman 
was  carried  out  by  several  of  his  friends  to  El  Bakia,  from 
which,  however,  they  were  driven  away,  and  obliged  to 
deposit  their  burden  in  a garden,  eastward  of  and  outside 
the  saints’  cemetery.  It  was  called  Husn  Kaukab,  and  was 
looked  upon  as  an  inauspicious  place  of  sepulture,  till  Mar- 
wan  included  it  in  El  Bakia. 

Then  moving  a few  paces  to  the  north,  we  faced  east- 
wards, and  performed  the  visitation  of  Abu  Said  el  Khazari, 
a Sahib  or  companion  of  the  Prophet,  whose  sepulchre  lies 
outside  El  Bakia.  The  third  place  visited  was  a dome  con- 
taining the  tomb  of  our  lady  Halimah,  the  Bedouin  wet- 
nurse  who  took  charge  of  Mohammed.* 

After  which,  fronting  the  north,  we  stood  before  a low 

* This  woman,  according  to  some  accounts,  also  saved  Mohammed’s 
life,  when  an  Arab  Kahin  or  diviner,  foreseeing  that  the  child  was  des- 
tined to  subvert  the  national  faith,  urged  the  bystanders  to  bury  their 
swords  in  his  bosom. 


291  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINA H AND  MECCAH. 

enclosure,  containing  ovals  of  loose  stones,  disposed  side  by 
side.  These  are  the  martyrs  of  El  Bakia,  who  received  the 
crown  of  glory  at  the  hands  of  El  Muslim,  the  general  of 
the  arch-heretic  Tezid.  The  fifth  station  is  near  the  centre 
of  the  cemetery  at  the  tomb  of  Ibrahim,  who  died,  to  the 
eternal  regret  of  El  Islam,  some  say  six  months  old,  others 
in  his  second  year.  He  was  the  son  of  Mariyah,  the  Coptic 
girl,  sent  as  a present  to  Mohammed  by  Jarih,  the  governor 
of  Alexandria.  The  Prophet  with  his  own  hand  piled  earth 
upon  the  grave,  and  sprinkled  it  with  water,— a ceremony 
then  first  performed, — -disposed  small  stones  upon  it,  and 
pronounced  the  final  salutation.*  Then  we  visited  El  N afi 
Maula,  son  of  Omar,  generally  called  Imam  Nafi  el  Kari,  or 
the  Koran  chaunter ; and  near  him  the  great  doctor  Imam 
Malik  ibn  Anas,  a native  of  El  Medinah,  and  one  of  the 
most  dutiful  of  her  sons.  The  eighth  station  is  at  the  tomb 
of  Ukayl  bin  Abi  Talib,  brother  of  Ali.  Then  we  visited  the 
spot  where  lie  interred  all  the  Prophet’s  wives,  Ayisha 
included.f  After  the  “ Mothers  of  the  Moslems,”  we 
prayed  at  the  tombs  of  Mohammed’s  daughters,  said  to  be 
ten  in  number. 

In  compliment  probably  to  the  Hajj,  the  beggars  mus- 
tered strong  that  morning  at  El  Bakia.  Along  the  walls 
and  at  the  entrance  of  each  building  squatted  ancient 
dames,  all  engaged  in  fervent  contemplation  of  every 
approaching  face,  and  in  pointing  to  dirty  cotton  napkins 
spread  upon  the  ground  before  them,  and  studded  with  a 
few  coins,  gold,  silver,  or  copper,  according  to  the  expec- 


* For  which  reason  many  holy  men  were  buried  in  this  part  of  the 
cemetery,  every  one  being  ambitious  to  lie  in  ground  which  had  been 
honored  by  the  Prophet’s  hands. 

f Khadijah,  who  lies  at  Meccah,  is  the  only  exception.  Mohammed 
married  fifteen  wives,  of  whom  nine  survived  him. 


THE  HOME  OF  ABE  AS. 


295 


tations  of  the  proprietress.  They  raised  their  voices  to 
demand  largesse : some  promised  to  write  Fat-Fahs,  and  the 
most  audacious  seized  visitors  by  the  skirts  of  their-  gar- 
ments. Fakihs,  ready  to  write  “ Y.  S.”  or  anything  else 
demanded  of  them,  covered  the  little  heaps  and  eminences 
of  the  cemetery,  all  begging  lustily,  and  looking  as  though 
they  would  murder  you,  when  told  how  beneficent  is  Allah.* 
At  the  doors  of  the  tombs  old  housewives,  and  some  young 
ones  also,  struggled  with  you  for  your  slippers  as  you 
doffed  them,  and  not  unfrequently  the  charge  of  the  pair 
was  divided  between  two.  Inside  when  the  boys  were  not 
loud  enough  or  importunate  enough  for  presents,  they  were 
urged  on  by  the  adults  and  seniors,  the  relatives  of  the 
“ Khadims”  and  hangers-on.  Unfortunately  for  me,  Shaykh 
Hamid  was  renowned  for  taking  charge  of  wealthy  pil- 
grims : the  result  was,  that  my  purse  was  lightened  of  three 
dollars.  I must  add  that  although  at  least  fifty  female 
voices  loudly  promised  that  morning,  for  the  sum  of  ten 
paras  each,  to  supplicate  Allah  in  behalf  of  my  lameness,  no 
perceptible  good  came  of  their  efforts. 

Before  leaving  El  Bakia,  we  went  to  the  eleventh 
station,  the  Kubbat  el  Abbasiyah,  or  Dome  of  Abbas. 
Originally  built  by  the  Abbaside  Caliphs  in  a.  h.  519,  it  is 
a larger  and  a handsomer  building  than  its  fellows,  and  is 
situated  on  the  right  hand  side  of  the  gate  as  you  enter  in. 
The  crowd  of  beggars  at  the  door  testified  to  its  import- 
ance : they  were  attracted  by  the  Persians  who  assemble 
here  in  force  to  weep  and  pray.  Crossing  the  threshold 
with  some  difficulty,  I walked  round  a mass  of  tombs  which 
occupies  the  centre  of  the  building,  leaving  but  a narrow 
passage  between  it  and  the  walls.  It  is  railed  round, 
covered  over  with  several  “ kiswahs”  of  green  cloth,  worked 


A polite  form  of  objecting  1o  be  charitable. 


296  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAII  AND  MECCAH. 

with  white  letters,  and  looked  like  a confused  heap ; but  it 
might  have  appeared  irregular  to  me  by  the  reason  of  the 
mob  around.  The  eastern  portion  contains  the  body  of  El 
Hasan,  the  son  of  Ali,  and  grandson  of  the  Prophet ; the 
Imam  Zayn  el  Abidin,  son  of  El  Hosayn,  and  great-grand- 
son to  the  Prophet ; the  Imam  Mohammed  El  Bakir  (fifth 
Imam),  son  to  Zayn  el  Abidin  ; and  his  son  the  Imam 
Jaafar  el  Sadik — all  four  descendants  of  the  Prophet,  and 
buried  in  the  same  grave  with  Abbas  ibn  Abd  el  Muttaleb, 
uncle  to  Mohammed. 

We  stood  opposite  this  mysterious  tomb,  and  repeated, 
with  difficulty  by  reason  of  the  Persians  weeping,  the  fol- 
lowing supplication  : — “ Peace  be  with  ye,  O family  of  the 
Prophet ! O Lord  Abbas,  the  free  from  impurity  and  un- 
cleanness, and  father’s  brother  to  the  best  of  men ! And 
thou  too,  O Lord  Hasan,  grandson  of  the  Prophet ! And 
thou  too,  O Lord  Zayn  el  Abidin  ! Peace  be  with  ye,  one 
and  all,  for  verily  God  hath  been  pleased  to  free  you  from 
all  guile,  and  to  purify  you  with  all  purity.  The  mercy  of 
Allah  and  his  blessings  be  upon  you,  and  verily  he  is  the 
Praised,  the  Mighty  !”  After  which,  freeing  ourselves  from 
the  hands  of  greedy  boys,  we  turned  round  and  faced  the 
southern  wall,  close  to  which  is  a tomb  attributed  to  the 
Lady  Fatimah.*  I will  not  repeat  the  prayer,  it  being  the 
same  as  that  recited  in  the  Haram. 

* Moslem  historians  seem  to  delight  in  the  obscurity  which  hangs 
over  the  lady’s  last  resting-place,  as  if  it  were  an  honor  even  for  the 
receptacle  of  her  ashes  to  be  concealed  from  the  eyes  of  men.  Some 
place  her  in  the  Haram,  relying  upon  this  tradition  : — Fatimah,  feeling 
about  to  die,  rose  up  joyfully,  performed  the  greater  ablution,  dressed 
herself  in  pure  garments,  spread  a mat  upon  the  floor  of  her  house  near 
the  Prophet’s  Tomb,  lay  down  fronting  the  Kiblah,  placed  her  hand 
under  her  cheek,  and  said  to  her  attendant,  “ I am  pure  and  in  a pure 
dress;  now  let  no  one  uncover  my  body,  but  bury  me  where  I lie!” 


NUMBER,  OP  MOSQUES  AT  EL  MEDINAII.  297 

Issuing  from  the  hot  and  crowded  dome,  we  recovered 
our  slippers  after  much  trouble,  and  found  that  our  gar- 
ments had  suffered  from  the  frantic  gesticulations  of  the 
Persians.  W e then  walked  to  the  gate  of  El  Bakia,  stood 
facing  the  cemetery  upon  an  elevated  piece  of  ground,  and 
delivered  the  general  benediction. 

After  which,  issuing  from  El  Bakia,*  we  advanced 
northwards,  leaving  the  city  gate  on  the  left  hand,  and 
came  to  a small  Kubbah  close  to  the  road.  It  is  visited  as 
containing  the  tomb  of  the  Prophet’s  paternal  aunts.  Hur- 
rying over  our  directions  here, — for  we  were  tired  in- 
deed,— we  applied  to  a Sakka  for  water,  and  entered  a lit- 
tle coffee-house  near  the  gate  of  the  town,  after  which  we 
rode  home. 

I have  now  described,  I fear  at  a wearying  length,  the 
spots  visited  by  every  Zair  at  El  Medinah.  The  guide-books 
mention  altogether  between  fifty  and  fifty-five  mosques  and 
other  holy  places,  most  of  which  are  now  unknown  even 
by  name  to  the  citizens. 

Besides  fourteen  principal  mosques,  and  which  actually 
have  a “ local  habitation,”  I find  the  names,  and  nothing 
but  the  names,  of  forty  mosques.  The  reader  loses  little  by 
my  unwillingness  to  offer  him  a detailed  list  of  such  appel- 

When  Ali  returned  he  found  his  wife  dead,  and  complied  with  her  last 
wishes.  Omar  bin  Abd  el  Aziz  believed  this  tradition,  when  he  included 
the  room  in  the  mosque ; and  generally  in  El  Islam  Fatimah  is  supposed 
to  be  buried  in  the  Haram. 

* The  other  celebrities  in  El  Bakia  are,  Fatimah  bint  Asad,  mother 
of  Ali.  She  was  buried  with  great  religious  pomp.  The  Prophet 
shrouded  her  with  his  own  garment  (to  prevent  hell  from  touching 
her),  dug  her  grave,  lay  down  in  it  (that  it  might  never  squeeze  or  be 
narrow  to  her),  assisted  in  carrying  the  bier,  prayed  over  her,  and  pro- 
claimed her  certain  of  future  felicity.  Over  her  tomb  was  written, 
“ The  grave  hath  not  closed  upon  one  like  Fatimah,  daughter  of 
Asad.” 


13* 


298  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINA!!  AND  MECCAH. 

lations  as  Masjid  Beni  Abdel  Ashhal,  Masjid  Beni  Harisah, 
Masjid  Beni  Haram,  Masjid  el  Fash,  Masjid  El  Sukiya, 

“ Cum  multis  aliis  quae  nunc  perscribere  longum  est.” 

The  Damascus  caravan  was  to  start  on  the  27th  Zu’l 
Kaadah  (1st  September).  I had  intended  to  stay  at  El 
Medinah  till  the  last  moment,  and  to  accompany  the  Kafi- 
lat  el  Tayyarah,  or  the  “ Flying  Caravan,”  which  usually 
leaves  on  the  2nd  Zu’l  Hijjah,  two  days  after  that  of 
Damascus. 

Suddenly  arose  the  rumor  that  there  would  be  no  Tay- 
yarah,* and  that  all  pilgrims  must  proceed  with  the  Da- 
mascus caravan,  or  await  the  Rakb  or  dromedary-caravan. 
The  Sherif  Zayd,  Saad  the  Robber’s  only  friend,  had  paid 
him  an  unsuccessful  visit.  Schinderhans  demanded  back 
his  Shaykh-ship,  in  return  for  a safe-conduct  through  his 
country : “ Otherwise,”  said  he,  “ I will  cut  the  throat  of 
every  hen  that  ventures  into  the  passes.” 

The  Sherif  Zayd  returned  to  El  Medinah  on  the  25th 
Zu’l  Kaadah  (30th  August).  Early  on  the  morning  of  the 
next  day,  Shaykh  Hamid  returned  hurriedly  from  the  ba- 
zaar, exclaiming,  “ You  must  make  ready  at  once,  EfFendi ! 
— there  will  be  no  Tayyarah — all  Hajis  start  to-morrow — 
Allah  will  make  it  easy  to  you ! — have  you  your  water- 
skins in  order  ? — you  are  to  travel  down  the  Darb  El 
Sharki,  where  you  will  not  see  water  for  three  days !” 

Poor  Hamid  looked  horror-struck  as  he  concluded  this 
fearful  announcement,  which  filled  me  with  joy.  Burck- 
hardt  had  visited  and  described  the  Darb  El  Sultani,  the 
“High”  or  “Royal  road”  along  the  coast.  But  no  Euro- 
pean had  as  yet  travelled  down  by  Harun  El  Rashid’s  and 

* The  “ Tayyarah,”  or  “ Flying  Caravan,”  is  lightly  laden,  and  tra- 
vels by  forced  marches. 


PREPARATION. 


299 


the  Lady  Zubaydah’s  celebrated  route  through  the  Nejd 
Desert. 

Not  a moment,  however,  was  to  be  lost:  we  expected 
to  start  early  the  next  morning.  The  boy  Mohammed 
went  forth,  and  bought  for  eighty  piastres  a shugdut,  which 
lasted  us  throughout  the  pilgrimage,  and  for  fifteen  piastres 
a shibriyah  or  cot  to  be  occupied  by  Shaykh  Nur,  who  did 
not  relish  sleeping  on  boxes.  The  youth  was  employed  all 
day,  with  sleeves  tucked  up  and  working  like  a porter,  in 
covering  the  litter  with  matting  and  rugs,  in  mending  bro- 
ken parts,  and  in  providing  it  with  large  pockets  for  provi- 
sions inside  and  outside,  with  pouches  to  contain  the  gug- 
glets  of  cooled  water. 

Meanwhile  Shaykh  Nur  and  I,  having  inspected  the 
water-skins,  found  that  the  rats  had  made  considerable 
rents  in  two  of  them.  There  being  no  workman  procurable 
at  this  time  for  gold,  I sat  down  to  patch  the  damaged 
articles,  whilst  Nur  was  sent  to  lay  in  provisions  for  four- 
teen days.*  By  my  companion’s  advice  I took  wheat-flour, 
rice,  turmeric,  onions,  dates,  unleavened  bread  of  two 
kinds,  cheese,  limes,  tobacco,  sugar,  tea  and  coffee. 

Hamid  himself  started  upon  the  most  important  part  of 
our  business.  Faithful  camel-men  are  required  upon  a road 
where  robberies  are  frequent  and  stabbings  occasional,  and 
where  there  is  no  law  to  prevent  desertion  or  to  limit  new 
and  exorbitant  demands.  After  a time  he  returned,  accom- 
panied by  a boy  and  a Bedouin,  a short,  thin,  well-built  old 
man  with  regular  features,  a white  beard,  and  a cool  clear 
eye ; his  limbs,  as  usual,  were  scarred  with  wounds.  Masud, 
of  the  Rahlah,  a sub-family  of  the  Hamidah  family  of  the 

* The  journey  is  calculated  at  eleven  days ; but  provisions  are  apt 
to  spoil,  and  the  Bedouin  camel-men  expect  to  be  fed.  Besides  which, 
pilferers  abound. 


300  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

Beni  Harb,  came  in  with  a dignified  demeanor,  applied  his 
dexter  palm  to  ours,  sat  down,  declined  a pipe,  accepted 
coffee,  and  after  drinking  it,  looked  at  us  to  show  that  he 
was  ready  for  negotiation.  We  opened  the  proceedings 
with  “ We  want  men  and  not  camels,”  and  the  conversa- 
tion proceeded  in  the  purest  Hejazi.  After  much  discus- 
sion we  agreed,  if  compelled  to  travel  by  the  Darb  El 
Sharki,  to  pay  twenty  dollars  for  two  camels,  and  to  ad- 
vance arbun  or  earnest-money  to  half  that  amount.  The 
Shaykh  bound  himself  to  provide  us  with  good  animals, 
which  moreover  were  to  be  changed  in  case  of  accidents ; 
he  was  also  to  supply  his  beasts  with  water,  and  to  accom- 
pany us  to  Arafat  and  back.  But,  absolutely  refusing  to 
carry  my  large  box,  he  declared  that  the  tent  under  the 
shugduf  was  burden  enough  for  one  camel,  and  that  the 
small  green  case  of  drugs,  the  saddle-bags,  and  the  pro- 
vision-sacks surmounted  by  Nur’s  cot,  were  amply  suffi- 
cient for  the  other.  On  our  part  we  bound  ourselves  to 
feed  the  Shaykh  and  his  son,  supplying  them  either  with 
raw  or  with  cooked  provender,  and,  upon  our  return  to 
Meccah  from  Mount  Arafat,  to  pay  the  remaining  hire  with 
a discretionary  present. 

Hamid  then  addressed  to  me  flowery  praises  of  the 
old  Bedouin.  After  which,  turning  to  the  latter,  he  ex- 
claimed, “ Thou  wilt  treat  these  friends  well,  O Masud  the 
Harbi ! ” The  ancient  replied  with  a dignity  that  had  no 
pomposity  in  it, — “ Even  as  Abu  Shawarib — the  Father  of 
Mustachios  * — behaveth  to  us,  so  will  we  behave  to  him ! ” 
He  then  arose,  bade  us  be  prepared  when  the  departure- 

* Most  men  of  the  Shafei  school  clip  their  mustachios  exceedingly 
short ; some  clean  shave  the  upper  lip,  the  imperial,  and  the  parts  of 
the  beard  about  the  corners  of  the  mouth,  and  the  fore-part  of  the 
cheeks.  I neglected  so  to  do,  which  soon  won  for  me  the  epithet  re- 
corded above. 


ADIEUS. 


301 


gun  sounded,  saluted  us,  and  stalked  out  of  the  room,  fol- 
lowed by  his  son,  who,  under  pretext  of  dozing,  had  men- 
tally made  an  inventory  of  every  article  in  the  room,  our- 
selves especially  included. 

When  the  Bedouins  disappeared,  Shaykh  Hamid  shook 
his  head,  advising  me  to  give  them  plenty  to  eat,  and  never 
to  allow  twenty-four  hours  to  elapse  without  dipping  hand 
in  the  same  dish  with  them,  in  order  that  the  party  might 
always  be  “ malihm,” — on  terms  of  salt.  He  concluded  with 
a copious  lecture  upon  the  villany  of  Bedouins,  and  their 
habit  of  drinking  travellers’  water.  I was  to  place  the 
skins  on  a camel  in  front,  and  not  behind;  to  hang  the 
skins  with  their  mouths  carefully  tied,  and  turned  upwards, 
contrary  to  the  general  practice ; always  to  keep  a good 
store  of  liquid,  and  at  night  to  place  it  under  the  safeguard 
of  the  tent. 

In  the  afternoon,  Omar  Effendi  and  others  dropped  in 
to  take  leave.  They  found  me  in  the  midst  of  preparations, 
sewing  sacks,  fitting  up  a pipe,  patching  water-bags,  and 
packing  medicines.  My  fellow-traveller  had  brought  me 
some  pencils,  and  a pen-knife,  as  “ forget-me-nots,”  for  we 
were  by  no  means  sure  of  meeting  again.  He  hinted, 
however,  at  another  escape  from  the  paternal  abode,  and 
proposed,  if  possible,  to  join  the  Dromedary-Caravan. 
Shaykh  Hamid  said  the  same,  but  I saw  by  the  expression 
of  his  face,  that  his  mother  and  wife  would  not  give  him 
leave  from  home  so  soon  after  his  return. 

Towards  evening  time  the  Barr  el  Munakhah  became  a 
scene  of  exceeding  confusion.  The  town  of  tents  lay  upon 
the  ground.  Camels  were  being  laden,  and  were  roaring 
under  the  weight  of  litters,  cots,  boxes,  and  baggage. 
Horses  and  mules  gallopped  about.  Men  were  rushing 
wildly  in  all  directions  on  worldly  errands,  or  hurrying  to 
pay  a farewell  visit  to  the  Prophet’s  Tomb.  Women  and 


302  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAII. 


children  sat  screaming  on  the  ground,  or  ran  about  dis- 
tracted, or  called  their  vehicles  to  escape  the  danger  of 
being  crushed.  Every  now  and  then  a random  shot  excited 
all  into  the  belief  that  the  departure-gun  had  sounded.  At 
times  we  heard  a volley  from  the  robbers’  hills,  which 
elicited  a general  groan,  for  the  pilgrims  were  still,  to  use 
their  own  phrase,  “ between  fear  and  hope,”  and,  con- 
sequently, still  far  from  “ one  of  the  two  comforts.”*  Then 
would  sound  the  loud  “ Jhin-Jhin”  of  the  camels’  bells,  as 
the  stately  animals  paced  away  with  some  grandee’s  gilt 
and  emblazoned  litter,  the  sharp  grunt  of  the  dromedary, 
and  the  loud  neighing  of  excited  steeds. 

About  an  hour  after  sunset  all  our  preparations  were 
concluded,  save  only  the  shugduf,  at  which  the  boy 
Mohammed  still  worked  with  untiring  zeal ; he  wisely 
remembered  that  in  it  he  had  to  spend  the  best  portion 
of  a week  and  a half.  The  evening  was  hot,  we  therefore 
dined  outside  the  house.  I was  told  to  repair  to  the 
Haram  for  the  “ Farewell  Visitation;”  but  my  decided 
objection  to  this  step  was  that  we  were  all  to  part, — how 
soon ! — and  when  to  meet  again  we  knew  not.  My  com- 
panions smiled  consent,  assuring  me  that  the  ceremony 
could  be  performed  as  well  at  a distance  as  in  the  temple. 

Then  began  the  uncomfortable  process  of  paying  oft’ 
little  bills.  The  Eastern  creditor  always,  for  divers  reasons, 
waits  the  last  moment  before  he  claims  his  debt.  Shaykh 
Hamid  had  frequently  hinted  at  his  difficulties;  the  only 
means  of  escape  from  which,  he  said,  was  to  rely  upon 
Allah.  He  had  treated  me  so  hospitably,  that  I could  not 
take  back  any  part  of  the  hi.  lent  to  him  at  Suez.  His  three 

* The  “ two  comforts”  are  success  and  despair ; the  latter,  accord- 
ing to  the  Arab?5,  being  a more  enviable  state  of  feeling  than  doubt  or 
hope  deferred. 


LAST  NIGHT  AT  EL  MEDINAH. 


303 


brothers  received  a dollar  or  two  each,  and  one  or  two 
of  his  cousins  hinted  to  some  effect  that  such  a proceeding 
would  meet  with  their  approbation. 

The  luggage  was  then  carried  down,  and  disposed  in 
packs  upon  the  ground  before  the  house,  so  as  to  be  ready 
for  loading  at  a moment’s  notice.  Many  flying  parties 
of  travellers  had  almost  started  on  the  high  road,  and  late 
in  the  evening  came  a new  report  that  the  body  of  the 
caravan  would  march  about  midnight.  We  sat  up  till 
about  2 a.  m.,  when,  having  heard  no  gun,  and  seen  no 
camels,  we  lay  down  to  sleep  through  the  sultry  remnant 
of  the  hours  of  darkness. 

Thus,  gentle  reader,  was  spent  my  last  night  at  El 
Medinah. 

I had  reason  to  congratulate  myself  upon  having  passed 
through  the  first  danger.  Meccah  is  so  near  the  coast,  that, 
in  case  of  detection,  the  traveller  might  escape  in  a few 
hours  to  Jeddah,  where  he  would  find  an  English  vice- 
consul,  protection  from  the  Turkish  authorities,  and  possibly 
a British  cruiser  in  the  harbor.  But  at  El  Medinah  dis- 
covery would  entail  more  serious  consequences.  The  next 
risk  to  run  was  the  journey  between  the  two  cities,  on 
which  it  would  be  easy  for  the  local  officials  quietly  to 
dispose  of  a suspected  person  by  giving  a dollar  to  a Be- 
douin. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 


FROM  EL  MEDINAH  TO  EL  SUWAYRKIYAH. 

Four  roads  lead  from  El  Medinah  to  Meccah.  The  “ Darb 
El  Sultani,”  or  a Sultan’s  Way,”  follows  the  line  of  coast: 
this  “General  Passage”  has  been  minutely  described  by  my 
great  predecessor.  The  “Tarik  El  Ghabir,”  a mountain 
path,  is  avoided  by  the  Mahmal  and  the  great  caravans,  on 
account  of  its  rugged  passes;  water  abounds  along  the 
whole  line,  but  there  is  not  a single  village ; and  the  Sobh 
Bedouins,  who  own  the  soil,  are  inveterate  plunderers.  The 
route  called  “Wady  El  Kura”  is  a favorite  with  drome- 
dary-caravans ; on  this  road  are  two  or  three  small  settle- 
ments, regular  wells,  and  free  passage  through  the  Beni 
Amr  tribe.  The  Darb  El  Sharki,  or  “ Eastern  road,”  down 
which  I travelled,  owes  its  existence  to  the  piety  of  Zubay- 
dah  Khatun,  wife  of  Harun  el  Rashid.  That  estimable 
princess  dug  wells  from  Baghdad  to  El  Medinah,  and  built,, 
we  are  told,  a wall  to  direct  pilgrims  over  the  shifting  sands. 
There  is  a fifth  road,  or  rather  mountain  path,  concerning 
which  I can  give  no  information. 

At  8 a.  m.  on  Wednesday,  the  26th  Zu’l  Kaadah  (31st 
August,  1853),  as  we  were  sitting  at  the  window  of  Hamid’s 


EL  GHADIR. 


305 


house  after  our  early  meal,  suddenly  appeared,  in  hottest 
haste,  Masud,  our  Camel-Shaykh.  He  was  accompanied  by 
his  son,  a bold  boy  about  fourteen  years  of  age,  who  fought 
sturdily  about  the  weight  of  each  package  as  it  was  thrown 
over  the  camel’s  back ; and  his  nephew,  an  ugly  pock- 
marked lad,  too  lazy  even  to  quarrel.  We  were  ordered  to 
lose  no  time  in  loading ; all  started  into  activity,  and  at  9 
a.  m.  I found  myself  standing  opposite  the  “ Egyptian  Gate,” 
surrounded  by  my  friends,  who  had  accompanied  me  thus 
far  on  foot,  to  take  leave  with  due  honor.  After  affectionate 
embraces  and  parting  mementoes,  we  mounted,  the  boy 
Mohammed  and  I in  .the  shugduf,  or  litter,  and  Shaykh  N ur 
in  his  shibriyah,  or  cot.  Then,  in  company  with  some 
Turks  and  Meccans,  for  Masud  owned  a string  of  nine 
camels,  we  passed  through  the  little  gate  near  the  castle, 
and  shaped  our  course  towards  the  north.  On  our  right  lay 
the  palm-groves,  which  conceal  this  part  of  the  city ; far  to 
the  left  rose  the  domes  of  Hamzah’s  Mosques  at  the  foot  of 
Mount  Ohod ; and  in  front  a band  of  road  crowded  with 
motley  groups,  stretched  over  a barren  stony  plain. 

After  an  hour’s  slow  march,  we  fell  into  the  Nejd  road, 
and  came  to  a place  called  El  Ghadir,  or  the  Basin.  There 
we  halted  and  turned  to  take  a farewell  of  the  Holy  City. 
All  the  pilgrims  dismounted  and  gazed  at  the  venerable 
minarets  and  the  Green  Dome,  spots  upon  which  their  me- 
mory would  ever  dwell  with  a fond  and  yearning  interest. 

Remounting  at  noon  we  crossed  a fiumara  which  runs, 
according  to  my  Camel-Shaykh,  from  N".  to  S. ; we  were 
therefore  emerging  from  the  Medinah  basin.  The  sky  began 
to  be  clouded,  and  although  the  air  was  still  full  of  simoom, 
cold  draughts  occasionally  poured  down  from  the  hills. 
Arabs  fear  this 

“ bitter  change 

Of  fierce  extremes,  extremes  by  change  more  fierce,” 


306  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAII. 

and  call  that  a dangerous  climate  which  is  cold  in  the  hot 
season  and  hot  in  the  cold.  Travelling  over  a rough  and 
stony  path,  dotted  with  thorny  acacias,  we  arrived  about  2 
p.  m.  at  the  bed  of  lava  heard  of  by  Burckhardt.  The  aspect 
of  the  country  was  volcanic,  abounding  in  basalt  s and  scoriie, 
more  or  less  porous.  I made  diligent  enquiries  about  the 
existence  of  active  volcanoes  in  this  part  of  El  Hejaz,  and 
heard  of  none. 

At  5 p.  m.,  travelling  towards  the  East,  we  entered  a 
pass,  which  follows  the  course  of  a wide  fiumara,  walled  in 
by  steep  and  barren  hills — the  portals  of  a region  too  wild 
even  for  Bedouins.  The  torrent-bed  narrowed  where  the 
turns  were  abrupt,  and  the  drift  of  heavy  stones,  with  a 
water-mark  from  6 to  7 feet  high,  showed  that  after  rains  a 
violent  stream  runs  from  E.  and  S.E.  to  W.  and  N.W. 
The  fertilising  fluid  is  close  to  the  surface,  evidenced  by  a 
spare  growth  of  acacia,  camel-grass,  and  at  some  angles  of 
the  bed  by  the  Daum,  or  Theban  palm.*  I remarked  what 
are  technically  called  u Hufrah,”  holes  dug  for  water  in  the 
sand ; and  my  guide  assured  me  that  somewhere  near  there 
is  a spring  flowing  from  the  rocks. 

After  the  long  and  sultry  afternoon,  beasts  of  burden 
began  to  sink  in  considerable  numbers.  The  fresh  carcasses 
of  asses,  ponies,  and  camels  dotted  the  way-side : those  that 
had  been  allowed  to  die  were  abandoned  to  the  foul  carrion- 
birds,  the  Rakham  (vulture),  and  the  yellow  Ukab ; and  all 
whose  throats  had  been  properly  cut  were  surrounded  by 
troops  of  Takruri  pilgrims.  These  half-starved  wretches 
cut  steaks  from  the  choice  portions,  and  slung  them  over 
their  shoulders  till  an  opportunity  for  cooking  might  arrive. 
I never  saw  men  more  destitute.  They  carried  wooden 

* This  is  the  palm,  capped  with  large  fan-shaped  leaves,  described 
by  every  traveller  in  Egypt  and  the  nearer  East. 


HOW  PILGRIMS  LIVE  OK  A MARCH. 


307 


bowls,  which  they  filled  with  water  by  begging ; their  only 
weapon  was  a small  knife,  tied  in  a leathern  sheath  above 
the  elbow ; and  their  costume  an  old  skull-cap,  strips  of 
leather  tied  like  sandals  under  the  feet,  and  a long  dirty 
shirt,  or  sometimes  a mere  rag  covering  the  loins.  Some 
were  perfect  savages,  others  had  been  fine-looking  men, 
broad-shouldered  and  long-limbed;  many  were  lamed  by 
fatigue  and  thorns;  and  looking  at  most  of  them,  I saw 
death  depicted  in  their  forms  and  features. 

After  two  hours’  slow  marching  up  the  fiumara  east- 
wards, we  saw  in  front  of  us  a wall  of  rock,  and  turning 
abruptly  southwards,  we  left  the  bed,  and  ascended  rising 
ground.  Already  it  was  night ; an  hour,  however,  elapsed 
before  we  saw,  at  a distance,  the  twinkling  fires,  and  heard 
the  watch-cries  of  our  camp.  It  was  pitched  in  a hollow, 
under  hills,  in  excellent  order,  the  Pacha’s  pavilion  sur- 
rounded by  his  soldiers  and  guards  disposed  in  tents,  with 
sentinels,  regularly  posted,  protecting  the  outskirts  of  the 
encampment.  One  of  our  men,  whom  we  had  sent  forward, 
met  us  on  the  way,  and  led  us  to  an  open  place,  where  we 
unloaded  the  camels,  raised  our  canvas  home,  lighted  fires, 
and  prepared,  with  supper,  for  a good  night’s  rest.  Living 
is  simple  on  such  marches.  The  pouches  inside  and  outside 
the  shugduf  contain  provisions  and  water,  with  -which  you 
supply  yourself  when  inclined.  At  certain  hours  of  the 
day,  ambulant  vendors  offer  sherbet,  lemonade,  hot  coffee, 
and  water-pipes  admirably  prepared.*  Chibouques  may  be 
smoked  in  the  litter;  but  few  care  to  do  so  during  the 
simoom.  The  first  thing,  however,  called  for  at  the  halt- 


* The  charge  for  a cup  of  coffee  is  one  piastre  and  a half.  A pipe- 
bearer  will  engage  himself  for  about  ll.  per  mensem;  he  is  always  a 
veteran  smoker,  and  in  these  regions,  it  is  an  axiom  that  the  flavor  of 
your  pipe  mainly  depends  on  the  filler. 


308  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

ing-place  is  the  pipe,  and  its  delightful  soothing  influence, 
followed  by  a cup  of  coffee,  and  a “forty  winks”  upon  the 
sand,  will  awaken  an  appetite  not  to  be  roused  by  other 
means.  How  could  Waterton,  the  traveller,  abuse  the 
pipe  ? During  the  night  halt,  provisions  are  cooked  : rice, 
or  kichri,  a mixture  of  pulse  and  rice,  are  eaten  with  Chut- 
nee  and  lime-pickle,  varied,  occasionally,  by  tough  mutton 
and  indigestible  goat. 

We  arrived  at  Ja  El  Sherifah  at  8 p.  m.  after  a march 
of  about  twenty-two  miles.*  This  halting-place  is  the  ren- 
dezvous of  caravans:  it  lies  50°  S.E.  of  El  Medinah,  and 
belongs  rather  to  Nejd  than  to  El  Hejaz. 

At  3 a.  m.,  on  Thursday,  we  started  up  at  the  sound  of 
the  departure-gun,  struck  the  tent,  loaded  the  camels, 
mounted,  and  found  ourselves  hurrying  through  a gloomy 
pass,  in  the  hills,  to  secure  a good  place  in  the  caravan. 
This  is  an  object  of  some  importance,  as,  during  the  whole 
journey,  marching  order  must  not  be  broken.  We  met 
with  a host  of  minor  accidents,  camels  falling,  shugdufs 
bumping  against  one  another,  and  plentiful  abuse.  Per- 
tinaciously we  hurried  on  till  6 a.  m.,  at  which  hour  we 
emerged  from  the  black  pass.  The  large  crimson  sun  rose 
upon  us,  disclosing,  through  purple  mists,  a hollow  of  coarse 
yellow  gravel,  based  upon  a hard  whitish  clay.  Entering 
it,  we  dismounted,  prayed,  broke  our  fast,  and  after  half 
an  hour’s  halt  proceeded  to  cross  its  breadth.  The  appear- 
ance of  the  caravan  was  most  striking,  as  it  threaded  its 

* A day’s  journey  in  Arabia  is  generally  reckoned  at  twenty-four  or 
twenty-five  Arab  miles.  Abulfeda  leaves  the  distance  of  a Marhalah  (or 
Manzil,  a station)  undetermined.  El  Idrisi  reckons  it  at  thirty  miles, 
but  speaks  of  short  as  well  as  long  marches. 

The  only  ideas  of  distance  known  to  the  Bedouin  of  El  Hejaz  are  the 
fanciful  Saat  or  hour,  and  the  uncertain  Manzil  or  halt ; the  former  varies 
from  2 to  miles,  the  latter  from  15  to  25  miles. 


THE  APPEARANCE  OF  THE  CARAVAN. 


309 


slow  way  over  the  smooth  surface  of  the  low  plain.  To 
judge  by  the  eye,  there  were  at  least  7,000  souls,  on  foot, 
on  horseback,  in  litters,  or  bestriding  the  splendid  camels 
of  Syria.  There  were  eight  gradations  of  pilgrims.  The 
lowest  hobbled  with  heavy  staves.  Then  came  the  riders  of 
asses,  camels,  and  mules.  Respectable  men,  especially  Arabs, 
mounted  dromedaries,  and  the  soldiers  had  horses : a led 
animal  was  saddled  for  every  grandee,  ready  whenever  he 
might  wish  to  leave  his  litter.  Women,  children,  and  inva- 
lids of  the  poorer  classes  sat  upon  a “ haml  musattah,” — 
bits  of  cloth  spread  over  two  large  boxes  which  formed  the 
camel’s  load.  Many  occupied  shibriyahs,  a few,  shugdufs, 
and  only  the  wealthy  and  the  noble  rode  in  Takhtrawan 
(litters),  carried  by  camels  or  mules.*  The  morning  beams 
fell  brightly  upon  the  glancing  arms  which  surrounded  the 
stripped  Mahmal,f  and  upon  the  scarlet  and  gilt  litters  of 
the  grandees.  Not  the  least  beauty  of  the  spectacle  was 
its  wondrous  variety  of  detail : no  man  was  dressed  like  his 
neighbor,  no  camel  was  caparisoned,  nor  horse  clothed  in 
uniform,  as  it  were.  And  nothing  stranger  than  the  con- 
trast; — a band  of  half-naked  Takruri  marching  with  the 
Pacha’s  equipage,  and  long-capped,  bearded  Persians  con- 
versing with  Tarbushed  and  shaven  Turks. 

* The  vehicle  mainly  regulates  the  expense,  as  it  evidences  a man’s 
means.  I have  heard  of  a husband  and  wife  leaving  Alexandria  with 
three  months’  provision  and  the  sum  of  51.  They  would  mount  a camel, 
lodge  in  public  buildings,  when  possible,  probably  be  reduced  to  beg- 
gary, and  possibly  starve  on  the  road.  On  the  other  hand  the  minimum 
expenditure, — for  necessaries,  not  donations  and  luxuries, — of  a man 
who  rides  in  a Takhtrawan  from  Damascus  and  back,  would  be  about 
1200/. 

f On  the  line  of  march  the  Mahmal,  stripped  of  its  embroidered 
cover,  is  carried  on  camel-back,  a mere  framewood.  Even  the  gilt  silver 
balls  and  crescent  are  exchanged  for  similar  articles  in  brass. 


310  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

The  plain  even  at  an  early  hour  reeked  with  vapors 
distilled  by  the  fires  of  the  simoom : about  noon,  however, 
the  air  became  cloudy,  and  nothing  of  color  remained,  save 
that  white  haze,  dull,  but  glaring  withal,  Avhich  is  the  pre- 
vailing day-tint  in  these  regions.  At  mid-day  we  reached  a 
narrowing  of  the  basin,  where,  from  both  sides,  “ Irk,”  or 
low  hills,  stretch  their  last  spurs  into  the  plain.  But  after 
half  a mile,  it  again  widened  to  upwards  of  two  miles.  At 
2 p.  m.  we  turned  towards  the  S.W.,  ascended  stony  ground, 
and  found  ourselves  one  hour  afterwards  in  a desolate  rocky 
flat,  distant  about  twenty-four  miles  of  unusually  winding 
road  from  our  last  station. 

After  pitching  the  tent,  we  prepared  to  recruit  our  sup- 
ply of  water ; for  Masud  warned  me  that  his  camels  had  not 
drunk  for  ninety  hours,  and  that  they  would  soon  sink  under 
the  privation.  The  boy  Mohammed,  mounting  a drome- 
dary, set  off  with  the  Shaykh  and  many  water-bags,  giving 
me  an  opportunity  of  writing  out  my  journal.  They  did 
not  return  home  till  after  nightfall,  a delay  caused  by  many 
adventures.  The  wells  are  in  a fiumara,  as  usual,  about  two 
miles  distant  from  the  halting-place,  and  the  soldiers,  regular 
as  well  as  irregular,  occupied  the  water  and  exacted  hard 
coin  in  exchange  for  it.  The  men  are  not  to  blame ; they 
would  die  of  starvation,  but  for  this  resource.  The  boy  Mo- 
hammed had  been  engaged  in  several  quarrels ; but  after 
snapping  his  pistol  at  a Persian  pilgrim’s  head,  he  came  forth 
triumphant  with  two  skins  of  sweetish  water,  for  which  we 
paid  ten  piastres.  He  was  in  his  glory.  There  were  many 
Meccans  in  the  caravan,  among  them  his  elder  brother  and 
several  friends ; the  Sherif  Zayd  had  sent,  he  said,  to  ask 
why  he  did  not  travel  with  his  comj)atriots.  That  evening 
he  drank  so  copiously  of  clarified  butter,  and  ate  dates 
mashed  with  flour  and  other  abominations  to  such  an  extent, 
that  at  night  he  prepared  to  give  up  the  ghost.  We  passed 


THE  NIGHT  MARCH. 


311 


a pleasant  hour  or  two  before  sleeping.  I began  to  like  the 
old  Shaykh  Masud,  who,  seeing  it,  entertained  me  with  his 
genealogy,  his  battles,  and  his  family  affairs.  The  rest  of 
the  party  could  not  prevent  expressing  contempt  when  they 
heard  me  putting  frequent  questions  about  torrents,  hills, 
Bedouins,  and  the  directions  of  places.  “ Let  the  Father  of 
Mustachios  ask  and  learn,”  said  the  old  man ; “he  is  friendly 
with  the  Bedouins,  and  knows  better  than  you  all.”  This 
reproof  was  intended  to  be  bitter  as  the  poet’s  satire, — 

“ All  fools  have  still  an  itching  to  deride, 

And  fain  would  be  upon  the  laughing  side.” 

It  called  forth,  however,  another  burst  of  merriment,  for  the 
jeerers  remembered  my  nickname  to  have  belonged  to  that 
pestilent  heretic,  Saud  the  Wahhabi. 

On  Saturday,  the  3rd  September,  that  hateful  signal-gun 
awoke  us  at  1 a.  m.  In  Arab  travel  there  is  nothing  more 
disagreeable  than  the  Sariyah  or  night-march,  and  yet  the 
people  are  inexorable  about  it.  “ Choose  early  darkness 
(Daljah)  for  your  wayfarings,”  said  the  Prophet,  “ as  the 
calamities  of  the  earth — serpents  and  wild  beasts — appear 
not  at  night.”  I can  scarcely  find  words  to  express  the 
weary  horrors  of  a long  night’s  march,  during  which  the 
hapless  traveller,  fuming,  if  a European,  with  disappoint- 
ment in  his  hopes  of  “ seeing  the  country,”  is  compelled  to 
sit  upon  the  back  of  a creeping  camel.  The  day  sleep  too  is 
a kind  of  lethargy,  and  it  is  all  but  impossible  to  preserve  an 
appetite  during  the  hours  of  heat. 

At  half-past  5 a.  m.,  after  drowsily  stumbling  through 
hours  of  outer  darkness,  we  entered  a spacious  basin  at  least 
six  miles  broad,  and  limited  by  a circlet  of  low  hill.  It  was 
overgrown  with  camel-grass  and  acacia  trees — mere  vege- 
table mummies ; — in  many  places  the  water  bad  left  a mark ; 


312  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

and  here  and  there  the  ground  was  pitted  with  mud-flakes, 
the  remains  of  recently  dried  pools.  After  an  hour’s  rapid 
march  we  toiled  over  a rugged  ridge,  composed  of  broken 
and  detached  blocks  of  basalt  and  scoriae,  fantastically  piled 
together,  and  dotted  with  thorny  trees.  It  was  wonderful 
to  see  the  camels  stepping  from  block  to  block  with  the 
sagacity  of  mountaineers ; assuring  themselves  of  their  fore- 
feet before  trusting  all  their  weight  to  advance.  Not  a 
camel  fell,  either  here  or  on  any  other  ridge : they  moaned, 
however,  piteously,  for  the  sudden  turns  of  the  path  puzzled 
them ; the  ascents  were  painful,  the  descents  were  still  more 
so ; the  rocks  were  sharp,  deep  holes  yawned  between  the 
blocks,  and  occasionally  an  acacia  caught  the  shugduf, 
almost  overthrowing  the  hapless  bearer  by  the  suddenness 
and  the  tenacity  of  its  clutch. 

Descending  the  ridge,  we  entered  another  hill-encircled 
basin  of  gravel  and  clay.  In  many  places  basalt  in  piles  and 
crumbling  strata  of  hornblende  schiste,  disposed  edgeways, 
green  within,  and  without  blackened  by  sun  and  rain, 
cropped  out  of  the  ground.  At  half-past  ten  we  found  our- 
selves  in  an  “ acacia-barren,”  one  of  the  things  which  pil- 
grims dread.  Here  shugdufs  are  bodily  pulled  off  the 
camel’s  back  and  broken  upon  the  hard  ground ; the  animals 
drop  upon  their  knees,  the  whole  line  is  deranged,  and  every 
one,  losing  his  temper,  attacks  his  Moslem  Brother.  The 
road  was  flanked  on  the  left  by  an  iron  wall  of  black  basalt. 
Noon  brought  us  to  another  ridge,  whence  we  descended 
into  a second  wooden  basin  surrounded  by  hills. 

Here  the  air  was  filled  with  those  pillars  of  sand  so  gra- 
phically described  by  Abyssinian  Bruce.  They  scudded  on 
the  wings  of  the  whirlwind  over  the  plain — huge  yellow 
shafts,  with  lofty  heads,  horizontally  bent  backwards,  in  the 
form  of  clouds ; and  on  more  than  one  occasion  camels  were 
overthrown  by  them.  It  required  little  stretch  of  fancy  to 


HOW  TO  ALLAY  THIKST  IN  THE  EAST. 


313 


enter  into  the  Arab’s  superstition.  These  sand-columns  are 
supposed  to  be  genii  of  the  waste,  which  cannot  be  caught — 
a notion  arising  from  the  fitful  movements  of  the  wind-eddy 
that  raises  them — and,  as  they  advance,  the  pious  Moslem 
stretches  out  his  finger,  exclaiming,  “Iron!  O thou  ill- 
omened  one !” 

During  the  forenoon  we  were  troubled  with  simoom, 
which,  instead  of  promoting  perspiration,  chokes  up  and 
hardens  the  skin.  The  Arabs  complain  greatly  of  its  vio- 
lence on  this  line  of  road.  Here  I first  remarked  the  diffi- 
culty with  which  the  Bedouins  bear  thirst.  Ya  Latif — O ! 
Merciful  Lord — they  exclaimed  at  times,  and  yet  they 
behaved  like  men.*  I had  ordered  them  to  place  the  water- 
camel  in  front,  so  as  to  exercise  due  supervision.  Shaykh 
Masud  and  his  son  made  only  an  occasional  reference  to  the 
skins.  But  his  nephew,  a short,  thin,  pock-marked  lad  of 
eighteen,  whose  black  skin  and  woolly  head  suggested  the 
idea  of  a semi- African  and  ignoble  origin,  was  always  drink- 
ing ; except  when  he  climbed  the  camel’s  back,  and,  dozing 
upon  the  damp  load,  forgot  his  thirst.  In  vain  we  ordered, 
we  taunted,  and  we  abused  him : he  would  drink,  he  would 
sleep,  but  he  would  not  work. 

* The  Eastern  Arabs  allay  the  torments  of  thirst  by  a spoonful  of 
clarified  butter,  carried  on  journeys  in  a leathern  bottle.  Every  Euro- 
pean traveller  has  some  recipe  of  his  own.  One  chews  a musket-bullet 
or  a small  stone.  A second  smears  his  legs  with  butter.  Another  eats 
a crust  of  dry  bread,  which  exacerbates  the  torments,  and  afterwards 
brings  relief.  A fourth  throws  water  over  his  face  and  hands  or  his 
legs  and  feet ; a fifth  smokes,  and  a sixth  turns  his  dorsal  region  (raising 
his  coat-tail)  to  the  fire.  I have  always  found  that  the  only  remedy  is 
to  be  patient  and  not  to  talk.  The  more  you  drink,  the  more  you 
require  to  drink — water  or  strong  waters.  But  after  the  first  two  hours* 
abstinence  you  have  mastered  the  overpowering  feeling  of  thirst,  and 
then  to  refrain  is  easy. 


14 


314  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

Early  in  the  afternoon  we  reached  a diminutive  flat,  on 
a fiumara  bank.  Beyond  it  lies  a Mahjar  or  stony  ground, 
black  as  usual  in  El  Hejaz,  and  over  its  length  lay  the 
road,  white  with  dust  and  the  sand  deposited  by  the 
camels’  feet.  Having  arrived  before  the  Pacha,  we  did  not 
know  where  to  pitch ; many  opining  that  the  caravan  would 
traverse  the  Mahjar  and  halt  beyond  it.  We  soon  alighted, 
however,  pitched  the  tent  under  a burning  sun,  and  were 
imitated  by  the  rest  of  the  party. 

We  loitered  on  Sunday,  the  4th  September,  at  El  Hij- 
riyah,  although  the  Shaykh  forewarned  us  of  a long  march. 
But  there  is  a kind  of  discipline  in  these  great  caravans.  A 
gun  sounds  the  order  to  strike  the  tents,  and  a second  bids 
you  march  ofl*  with  all  speed.  There  are  short  halts  of  half 
an  hour  each  at  dawn,  noon,  the  afternoon,  and  sunset,  for 
devotional  purposes,  and  these  are  regulated  by  a cannon 
or  a culverin.  At  such  times  the  Syrian  and  Persian  ser- 
vants, who  are  admirably  expert  in  their  calling,  pitch  the 
large  green  tents,  with  gilt  crescents,  for  the  dignitaries 
and  their  hareems.  The  last  resting-place  is  known  by  the 
hurrying  forward  of  these  “ Farrash,’**  who  are  determined 
to  be  the  first  on  the  ground  and  at  the  well.  A discharge 
of  three  guns  denotes  the  station,  and  when  the  caravan 
moves  by  night,  a single  cannon  sounds  three  or  four  halts 
at  irregular  intervals. 

Leaving  our  camp  at  seven  a.m.,  we  passed  over  the 
grim  stone-field  by  a detestable  footpath,  and  at  nine 
o’clock  struck  into  a broad  fiumara,  which  runs  from  the 
east  towards  the  north-west.  Up  this  line  we  travelled  the 
whole  day.  About  six  p.m.,  we  came  upon  a basin  at  least 
twelve  miles  broad,  which  absorbs  the  water  of  the  adjacent 
hills.  Accustomed  as  I have  been  to  mirage,  a long  thin 


* Tent-pitchers,  <fcc. 


GEOLOGICAL  FEATURES  OF  THE  COUNTRY. 


315 


line  of  salt  efflorescence  appearing  at  some  distance  on  the 
plain  below  ns,  when  the  shades  of  evening  invested  the 
view,  completely  deceived  me.  Even  the  Arabs  were 
divided  in  opinion,  some  thinking  it  was  the  effects  of  the 
rain  which  fell  the  day  before : others  were  more  acute.* 
Upon  the  horizon  beyond  the  plain  rose  dark,  fort-like 
masses  of  rock  which  I mistook  for  buildings,  the  more 
readily  as  the  Shaykh  had  warned  me  that  we  were 
approaching  a populous  place.  At  last  descending  a long 
steep  hill,  we  entered  upon  the  level  ground,  and  discovered 
our  error  by  the  crunching  sound  of  the  camels’  feet  upon 
large  curling  flakes  of  nitrous  salt  overlying  caked  mud. 
Those  civilised  birds,  the  kite  and  the  crow,  warned  us  that 
we  were  in  the  vicinity  of  man.  It  was  not,  however, 
before  eleven  p.m.,  that  we  entered  the  confines  of  El 
Suwayrkiyah.  The  fact  was  made  patent  to  us  by  the 
stumbling  and  the  falling  of  our  dromedaries  over  the  little 
ridges  of  dried  clay  disposed  in  squares  upon  the  fields. 
There  were  other  obstacles,  such  as  garden  walls,  wells,  and 
hovels,  so  that  midnight  had  sped  before  our  weary  camels 
reached  the  resting-place.  A rumor  that  we  were  to  halt 
here  the  next  day,  made  us  think  lightly  of  present  troubles ; 
it  proved,  however,  to  be  false. 

During  the  last  four  days  I attentively  observed  the 
general  face  of  the  country.  This  line  is  a succession  of 
low  plains  and  basins,  here  quasi-circular,  there  irregularly 
oblong,  surrounded  by  rolling  hills  and  cut  by  fiumaras 
which  passed  through  the  higher  ground.  The  basins  are 
divided  by  ridges  and  flats  of  basalt  and  greenstone  ave- 

* It  is  said  that  beasts  are  never  deceived  by  the  mirage,  and  this, 
as  far  as  my  experience  goes,  is  correct.  May  not  the  reason  be  that 
most  of  them  know  the  vicinity  of  water  rather  by  smell  than  by 
sight? 


316  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINA!!  AND  MECCAH. 

raging  from  100  to  200  feet  in  height.  The  general  form 
is  a huge  prism ; sometimes  there  is  a table  on  the  top. 
From  El  Medinah  to  El  Suwayrkiyah  the  low  beds  of 
sandy  fiumaras  abound.  Water  obtained  by  digging  is 
good  where  rain  is  fresh  in  the  fiumaras ; saltish,  so  as  to 
taste  at  first  unnaturally  sweet,  in  the  plains,  and  bitter  in 
the  basins  and  lowlands  where  nitre  effloresces  and  rain  has 
had  time  to  become  tainted.  The  landward  faces  of  the 
hills  are  disposed  at  a sloping  angle,  contrasting  strongly 
with  the  perpendicularity  of  their  seaward  sides,  and  I saw 
no  inner  range  corresponding  with,  and  parallel  to,  the 
maritime  chain.  Nowhere  is  there  a land  in  which  Earth’s 
anatomy  lies  so  barren,  or  one  richer  in  volcanic  and  pri- 
mary formations.  Especially  towards  the  south,  the  hills 
are  abrupt  and  highly  vertical,  with  black  and  barren 
flanks,  ribbed  with  furrows  and  fissures,  with  wide  and  for- 
midable precipices  and  castellated  summits  like  the  work 
of  man.  The  predominant  formation  was  basalt,  called  by 
the  Arabs  Hell-stone ; here  and  there  it  is  porous  and  cellu- 
lar ; in  some  places  compact  and  black  ; and  in  others 
coarse  and  gritty,  of  a tarry  color,  and  when  fractured, 
shining  with  bright  points.  Hornblende  abounds  at  El 
Medinah  and  throughout  this  part  of  El  Hejaz:  it  crops 
out  of  the  ground  edgeways,  black  and  brittle.  Green- 
stone, diorite,  and  actinolite  are  found,  though  not  so 
abundantly  as  those  above  mentioned.  The  granites,  called 
in  Arabic  Suwan,*  abound.  Some  are  large  grained,  of  a 
pink  color,  and  appear  in  blocks,  which,  flaking  off  under 
the  influence  of  the  atmosphere,  form  into  ooidal  blocks  and 

* The  Arabic  language  has  a copious  terminology  for  the  mineral 
as  well  as  the  botanical  productions  of  the  country  : with  little  altera- 
tion it  might  be  made  to  express  all  the  requirements  of  our  modern 
geology. 


GEOLOGICAL  FORMATIONS. 


317 


boulders  piled  in  irregular  heaps.  Others  are  grey  and 
compact  enough  to  take  a high  polish  when  cut.  The 
syenite  is  generally  coarse,  although  there  is  occasionally 
found  a rich  red  variety  of  that  stone.  I have  never  seen 
Eurite  or  Euritic  porphyry  except  in  small  pieces,  and  the 
same  may  be  said  of  the  petrosilex  and  the  milky  quartz. 
In  some  parts,  particularly  between  Yambu  and  El  Medi- 
nah,  there  is  an  abundance  of  tawny  yellow  gneiss  mark- 
edly stratified.  The  transition  formations  are  represented 
by  a fine  calcareous  sandstone  of  a bright  ochre  color ; it  is 
used  at  Meccah  to  adorn  the  exteriors  of  houses,  bands  of 
this  stone  being  here  and  there  inserted  into  the  courses  of 
masonry.  There  is  also  a small  admixture  of  the  greenish 
sandstone  which  abounds  at  Aden.  The  secondary  forma- 
tion is  represented  by  a fine  limestone,  in  some  places 
almost  fit  for  the  purposes  of  lithography,  and  a coarse 
gypsum  often  of  a tufaceous  nature.  The  maritime  towns 
are  mostly  built  of  coralline.  For  the  superficial  accumu- 
lations of  the  country,  I may  refer  the  reader  to  any 
description  of  the  Desert  between  Cairo  and  Suez. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


THE  BEDOUINS  OF  EL  HEJAZ. 

I will  not  apologize  for  entering  into  details  concerning 
the  personate  of  the  Bedouins:  a precise  physical  portrait 
of  race,  it  has  justly  been  remarked,  is  the  sole  deficiency 
in  the  otherwise  perfect  pages  of  Bruce  and  Burckhardt. 

The  temperament  of  the  Hejazi  is  not  unfrequently  the 
pure  nervous,  as  the  height  of  the  forehead  and  the  fine 
texture  of  the  hair  prove.  Sometimes  the  bilious,  and 
rarely  the  sanguine,  elements  predominate  : the  lymphatic 
I never  saw.  He  has  large  nervous  centres,  and  well 
formed  spine  and  brain,  a conformation  favorable  to  longe- 
vity. Bartema  well  describes  his  color  as  a “ dark  leonine:” 
it  varies  from  the  deepest  Spanish  to  a chocolate  hue,  and 
its  varieties  are  attributed  by  the  people  to  blood.  The 
skin  is  hard,  dry,  and  soon  wrinkled  by  exposure.  The 
xanthous  complexion  is  rare,  though  not  unknown  in  cities, 
but  the  leucous  does  not  exist.  The  crinal  hair  is  fre- 
quently lightened  by  bleaching,  and  the  pilar  is  generally 
browner  than  the  crinal.  The  voice  is  strong  and  clear,  but 
rather  barytone  than  bass:  in  anger  it  becomes  a shrill 
chattering  like  the  cry  of  a wild  animal.  The  look  of  a 


THE  BEDOUINS. 


319 


chief  is  dignified  and  grave,  even  to  pensiveness  ; the 
“ respectable  man’s  ” is  self-sufficient  and  fierce  ; the  lower 
orders  look  ferocious  or  stupid  and  inquisitive.  Yet  there 
is  not  much  difference  in  this  point  between  men  of  the 
same  tribe,  who  have  similar  pursuits  which  engender  simi- 
lar passions.  “ Expression  ” is  the  grand  diversifier  of  ap- 
pearance among  civilized  people:  in  the  desert  it  knows 
few  varieties. 

The  Bedouin  cranium  is  small,  ooidal,  long,  high,  nar- 
row, and  remarkable  in  the  occiput  for  the  development  of 
Gall’s  second  propensity : the  crown  slopes  upwards  towards 
the  region  of  firmness,  which  is  elevated ; whilst  the  sides 
are  flat  to  a fault.  The  hair,  exposed  to  sun,  wind,  and 
rain,  acquires  a coarseness  not  natural  to  it : worn  in  rag- 
ged elf-locks,  hanging  down  to  the  breast,  or  shaved  in  the 
form  u Shushah,”  nothing  can  be  wilder  than  its  appear- 
ance. The  face  is  made  to  be  a long  oval,  but  want  of  flesh 
detracts  from  its  regularity.  The  forehead  is  high,  broad, 
and  retreating : the  upper  portion  is  moderately  developed  ; 
but  nothing  can  be  finer  than  the  lower  brow,  and  the 
frontal  sinuses  stand  out,  indicating  bodily  strength  and 
activity  of  character.  The  eyebrows  are  long,  bushy,  and 
crooked,  broken,  as  it  were,  at  the  angle  where  u order  ” is 
supposed  to  be,  and  bent  in  sign  of  thoughtfulness.  Most 
popular  writers,  following  De  Page,  describe  the  Arab  eye 
as  large,  ardent,  and  black.  The  Bedouin  of  the  Hejaz, 
and  indeed  the  race  generally,  has  a small  eye,  round,  rest- 
less, deep-set  and  fiery,  denoting  keen  inspection  with  an 
ardent  temperament  and  an  impassioned  character.  Its 
color  is  dark  brown  or  green  brown,  and  the  pupil  is  often 
speckled.  The  habit  of  pursing  up  the  skin  below  the 
orbits  and  half  closing  the  lids  to  prevent  dazzle,  plants  the 
outer  angles  with  premature  crow’s  feet.  Another  peculi- 
arity is  the  sudden  way  in  which  the  eye  opens,  especially 


320  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCA!!. 

under  excitement.  This,  combined  with  its  fixity  of  gaze, 
forms  an  expression  now  of  lively  fierceness,  then  of  exceed- 
ing sternness ; whilst  the  narrow  space  between  the  orbits 
impresses  the  countenance  in  repose  with  an  intelligence 
not  destitute  of  cunning.  As  a general  rule,  however,  the 
expression  of  the  Bedouin’s  face  is  rather  dignity  than  that 
of  cunning,  for  which  the  Semitic  race  is  celebrated,  and 
there  are  lines  about  the  mouth  in  variance  with  the  stern 
or  the  fierce  look  of  the  brow.  The  ears  are  like  those  of 
Arab  horses,  small,  well-cut,  “ castey”  and  elaborate,  with 
many  elevations  and  depressions.  His  nose  is  pronounced, 
generally  aquiline,  but  sometimes  straight  like  those  Greek 
statues  which  have  been  treated  as  prodigious  exaggera- 
tions of  the  facial  angle.  For  the  most  part,  it  is  a well- 
made  feature  with  delicate  nostrils  below  which  the  septum 
appears : in  anger  they  swell  and  open  like  a perfectly  bred 
mare’s.  I have,  however,  seen,  in  not  a few  instances,  pert 
and  offensive  “pugs.”  Deep  furrows  descend  from  the 
wings  of  the  nose,  showing  an  uncertain  temper,  now  too 
grave,  then  too  gay.  The  mouth  is  irregular.  The  lips 
are  either  hordes,  denoting  rudeness  and  want  of  taste,  or 
they  form  a mere  line.  In  the  latter  case  there  is  an  ap- 
pearance of  undue  development  in  the  upper  portion  of  the 
countenance,  especially  when  the  jaws  are  ascetieally  thin, 
and  the  chin  weakly  retreats.  The  latter  feature,  however, 
is  generally  well  and  strongly  made.  The  teeth,  as  usual 
among  Orientals,  are  white,  even,  short,  and  broad — indi- 
cations of  strength.  Some  tribes  trim  their  moustachios 
according  to  the  “Sunnat;”  the  Shafei  often  shave  them, 
and  many  allow  them  to  hang  Persian-like  over  the  lips. 
The  beard  is  represented  by  two  tangled  tufts  upon  the 
chin  ; where  whisker  should  be,  the  place  is  either  bare  or 
thinly  covered  with  straggling  pile. 

The  Bedouins  of  El  Hejaz  are  short  men,  about  the 


THE  BEDOUINS. 


321 


height  of  the  Indians  near  Bombay,  but  weighing  on  an 
average  a stone  more.  As  usual  in  this  stage  of  society, 
stature  varies  little ; you  rarely  see  a giant,  and  scarcely 
ever  a dwarf.  Deformity  is  checked  by  the  Spartan 
restraint  upon  population,  and  no  weakly  infant  can  live 
through  a Bedouin  life.  The  figure,  though  spare,  is  square 
and  well  knit,  fulness  of  limb  never  appears  but  about 
spring  when  milk  abounds : I have  seen  two  or  three  mus- 
cular figures,  but  never  a fat  man.  The  neck  is  sinewy,  the 
chest  broad,  the  flank  thin,  and  the  stomach  in-drawn ; the 
legs,  though  fleshless,  are  well-made,  especially  when  the 
knee  and  ankle  are  not  bowed  by  too  early  riding.  The 
shins  seldom  bend  to  the  front  as  in  the  African  race.  The 
arms  are  thin,  with  muscles  like  whip-cords,  and  the  hands 
and  feet  are,  in  point  of  size  and  delicacy,  a link  between 
Europe  and  India.  As  in  the  Celt,  the  Arab  thumb  is 
remarkably  long,  extending  almost  to  the  first  joint  of  the 
index,  which,  with  its  easy  rotation,  makes  it  a perfect  pre- 
hensile instrument : the  palm  also  is  fleshless,  small-boned, 
and  elastic.  With  his  small  active  figure  it  is  not  strange 
that  the  wildest  Bedouin’s  gait  should  be  pleasing;  he 
neither  unfits  himself  for  walking,  nor  distorts  his  ankles 
by  turning  out  his  toes  according  to  the  farcical  rule  of 
fashion,  and  his  shoulders  are  not  dressed  like  a drill 
sergeant’s,  to  throw  all  the  weight  of  the  body  upon  the 
heels.  Yet  there  is  no  slouch  in  his  walk;  it  is  light  and 
springy,  and  errs  only  in  one  point,  sometimes  becoming  a 
kind  of  strut. 

Such  is  the  Bedouin,  and  such  he  has  been  for  ages. 
The  national  type  has  been  preserved  by  systematic  inter- 
marriage. The  wild  men  do  not  refuse  their  daughters  to  a 
stranger,  but  the  son-in-law  would  be  forced  to  settle  among 
them,  and  this  life,  which  has  charms  for  a while,  ends  in 
becoming  wearisome.  Here  no  evil  results  are  anticipated 

14* 


322  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINA II  AND  MECCAH. 

from  the  union  of  first  cousins,  and  the  experience  of  ages 
and  of  a nation  may  be  trusted.  Every  Bedouin  has  a 
right  to  marry  his  father’s  brother’s  daughter  before  she  is 
given  to  a stranger ; hence  “ cousin”  in  polite  phrase  signi- 
fies a “ wife.”  Our  physiologists*  adduce  the  Sangre  Azul 
of  Spain  and  the  case  of  the  lower  animals  to  prove  that 
degeneracy  inevitably  follows  “ breeding-in.”f  Either  they 
have  theorised  from  insufficient  facts,  or  civilisation  and 
artificial  living  exercise  some  peculiar  influence,  or  Arabia 
is  a solitary  exception  to  a general  rule.  The  fact  which  I 
have  mentioned  is  patent  to  every  Eastern  traveller. 

After  this  weary  description,  the  reader  will  perceive 
with  pleasure  that  we  are  approaching  an  interesting  theme, 
the  first  question  of  mankind  to  the  wanderer — “ What  are 
the  women  like?”  Truth  compels  me  to  state  that  the 
women  of  the  Hejazi  Bedouins  are  by  no  means  comely. 
Although  the  Beni  Amur  boast  of  some  pretty  girls,  yet 
they  are  far  inferior  to  the  high-bosomed  beauties  of  Nejd. 
The  Hejazi  woman’s  eyes  are  fierce,  her  features  harsh,  and 
her  face  haggard ; like  all  people  of  the  South,  she  soon 
fades,  and  in  old  age  her  appearance  is  truly  witch-like. 
Withered  crones  abound  in  the  camps,  where  old  men  are 
seldom  seen. 

The  manners  of  the  Bedouins  are  free  and  simple: 
“ vulgarity”  and  affectation,  awkwardness  and  embarrass- 

* Dr.  Howe  (Report  on  Idiotcy  in  Massachusetts,  1848,)  asserts  that 
“ the  law  against  the  marriage  of  relations  is  made  out  as  clearly  as 
though  it  were  written  on  tables  of  stone.”  He  proceeds  to  show  that 
in  seventeen  households  where  the  parents  were  connected  by  blood, 
of  ninety-five  children  one  was  a dwarf,  one  deaf,  twelve  scrofulous, 
and  forty-four  idiots — total  fifty-eight  diseased ! 

f Yet  the  celebrated  “Flying  Childers”  and  all  his  race  were 
remarkably  bred  in.  There  is  still,  in  my  humble  opinion,  much 
mystery  about  the  subject,  to  be  cleared  up  only  by  the  studies  of 
physiologists. 


THE  BEDOUINS. 


323 


ment,  are  weeds  of  civilised  growth,  unknown  to  the  people 
of  the  desert.  Yet  their  manners  are  sometimes  dashed  with 
a strange  ceremoniousness.  When  two  friends  meet,  they 
either  embrace,  or  both  extend  their  right  hands,  clapping 
palm  to  palm ; their  foreheads  are  either  pressed  together, 
or  their  heads  moved  from  side  to  side,  whilst  for  minutes 
together  mutual  inquiries  are  made  and  answered.  It  is  a 
breach  of  decorum,  even  when  eating,  to  turn  the  back  upon 
a person,  and  when  a Bedouin  does  it  he  intends  an  insult. 
When  a friend  approaches  the  camp — it  is  not  done  to 
strangers  for  fear  of  startling  them — those  who  catch  sight 
of  him  shout  out  his  name,  and  gallop  up  saluting  with 
lances  or  firing  matchlocks  in  the  air.  This  is  the  well- 
known  gunpowder  play.  As  a general  rule  the  Bedouins 
are  polite  in  language,  but  in  anger  temper  is  soon  shown, 
and  although  life  may  not  be  in  peril,  the  foulest  epithets, 
dog,  drunkard,  liar  and  infidel,  are  discharged  like  pistol 
shots  by  both  parties. 

The  best  character  of  the  Bedouin  is  a truly  noble 
compound  of  determination,  gentleness,  and  generosity. 
Usually  they  are  a mixture  of  worldly  cunning  and  great 
simplicity,  sensitive  to  touchiness,  good-tempered  souls, 
solemn  and  dignified  withal,  fond  of  a jest  yet  of  a grave 
turn  of  mind,  easily  managed  by  a laugh  and  a soft  word, 
and  placable  after  passion,  though  madly  revengeful  after 
injury.  The  reader  will  inquire,  like  the  critics  of  a certain 
modern  humorist,  how  the  fabric  of  society  can  be  sup- 
ported by  such  material.  In  the  first  place,  it  is  a kind 
of  “ societe  leonine ,”  in  which  the  fiercest,  the  strongest, 
the  craftiest  obtains  complete  mastery  over  his  fellows,  and 
this  gives  a key-stone  to  the  arch.  Secondly,  there  is  the 
terrible  blood-feud,  which  even  the  most  reckless  fear  for 
their  posterity.  And,  thirdly,  though  the  revealed  law 
of  the  Koran,  being  insufficient  for  the  desert,  is  openly 


324  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

disregarded,  the  immemorial  customs  of  the  uKazi  el 
Arab  ” * form  a system  stringent  in  the  extreme. 

The  valor  of  the  Bedouin  is  fitful  and  uncertain,  and  his 
ideas  of  bravery  do  not  prepossess  us.  His  romances,  full 
of  foolhardy  feats  and  impossible  exploits,  might  charm  for 
a time,  but  would  not  become  the  standard  works  of  a 
really  fighting  people.  Nor  wTould  a truly  valorous  race 
admire  the  timid  freebooters  who  safely  fire  down  upon 
caravans  from  their  eyries.  Arab  wars,  too,  are  a succes- 
sion of  skirmishes,  in  which  500  men  will  retreat  after  losing 
a dozen  of  their  number.  In  this  partisan  fighting  the  first 
charge  secures  a victory,  and  the  vanquished  fly  till  covered 
by  the  shades  of  night.  Then  come  cries  of  women,  deep 
oaths,  wild  poetry,  excitement,  and  reprisals,  which  will 
probably  end  in  the  flight  of  the  former  victor.  When 
peace  is  to  be  made,  both  parties  count  up  their  dead,  and 
the  usual  blood-money  is  paid  for  excess  on  either  side. 
Generally,  however,  the  feud  endures  till  all  becoming 
weary  of  it,  some  great  man,  as  the  sherif  of  Meccah,  is 
called  upon  to  settle  the  terms  of  a treaty,  which  is  nothing 
but  an  armistice.  After  a few  months’  peace,  a glance  or 
a word  will  draw  blood,  for  these  hates  are  old  things,  and 
new  dissensions  easily  shoot  up  from  them. 

But,  contemptible  though  their  battles  be,  the  Bedouins 
are  not  cowards.  The  habit  of  danger  in  raids  and  blood- 
feuds,  the  continual  uncertainty  of  existence,  the  desert, 
the  chase,  the  hard  life  and  exposure  to  the  air,  blunting 
the  nervous  system ; the  presence  and  the  practice  of 
weapons  of  horsemanship,  sharpshooting,  and  martial  exer- 
cises, habituate  them  to  look  death  in  the  face  like  men, 

* The  “ Kazi  el  Arab”  (Judge  of  the  Arabs)  was  in  distinction  to 
the  Kazi  el  Shara,  or  the  Kazi  of  the  Koran.  The  former  was,  almost 
always,  some  sharp-witted  greybeard,  with  a minute  knowledge  of 
genealogy  and  precedents,  a retentive  memory  and  an  eloquent  tongue. 


SOCIAL  POSITION  OF  THE  WOMEN. 


325 


and  powerful  motives  will  make  them  heroes.  The  Eng- 
lish, it  is  said,  fight  willingly  for  liberty,  our  neighbors  for 
glory  ; the  Spaniard  fights,  or  rather  fought,  for  religion 
and  the  “ Pundonor,”  and  the  Irishman  fights  for  the  fun 
of  fighting.  Gain  and  revenge  draw  the  Arab’s  sword  : 
yet  then  he  uses  it  fitfully  enough,  without  the  gay  gal- 
lantry of  the  French  or  the  persistency  of  the  Anglo-Saxon. 
To  become  desperate  he  must  have  the  all  powerful  stimu- 
lants of  honor  and  fanaticism.  Frenzied  by  the  taunts  of 
his  women,  or  by  the  fear  of  being  branded  as  a coward, 
he  is  capable  of  any  mad  deed.  And  the  obstinacy  pro- 
duced by  strong  religious  impressions  gives  a steadfastness 
to  his  spirit  unknown  to  mere  enthusiasm. 

There  are  two  things  which  tend  to  soften  the  ferocity 
of  Bedouin  life.  These  are,  in  the  first  place,  intercourse 
with  citizens,  who  frequently  visit  and  entrust  their  chil- 
dren to  the  people  of  the  Black  tents ; and,  secondly,  the 
social  position  of  the  women. 

The  author  of  certain  “ Lectures  on  Poetry,  addressed 
to  Working  Men,”  asserts  that  Passion  became  Love  under 
the  influence  of  Christianity,  and  that  the  idea  of  a virgin 
mother  spread  over  the  sex  a sanctity  unknown  to  the 
poetry  or  the  philosophy  of  Greece  and  Home.  Passing 
over  the  objections  of  deified  Eros  and  Immortal  Psyche 
and  of  the  virgin  mother, — symbol  of  moral  purity, — being 
common  to  all  old  and  material  faiths,  I believe  that  all  the 
noble  tribes  of  savages  display  the  principle.  Thus  we 
might  expect  to  find  wherever  the  fancy,  the  imagination, 
and  the  ideality  are  strong,  some  traces  of  a sentiment 
innate  in  the  human  organization.  It  exists,  says  Mr.  Gat- 
lin, amongst  the  North  American  Indians,  and  even  the 
Gallas  and  the  Somal  of  Africa  are  not  wdiolly  destitute  of  it. 
But  when  the  barbarian  becomes  a semi-barbarian,  as  are 
the  most  polished  Orientals,  or  as  were  the  classical  authors 


326  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 


of  Greece  and  Rome,  then  women  fall  from  their  proper 
place  in  society,  become  mere  articles  of  luxury,  and  sink 
into  the  lowest  moral  condition.*.  In  the  next  stage,  “ civi- 
lization,” they  rise  again  to  be  “ highly  accomplished,”  and 
not  a little  frivolous. 

Were  it  not  evident  that  the  spiritualising  of  sexuality 
by  imagination  is  universal  among  the  highest  orders  of 

* Miss  Martineau,  when  travelling  through  Egypt,  once  visited  a 
harem,  and  there  found,  among  many  things,  especially  in  their  igno- 
rance of  books  and  book-making,  materials  for  a heart-broken  wail  over 
the  degradation  of  her  sex.  The  learned  lady  indulges,  too,  in  sundry 
strong  and  unsavory  comparisons  between  the  harem  and  certain  haunts 
of  vice  in  Europe. 

On  the  other  hand,  male  travellers  generally  speak  lovingly  of  the 
harem.  Sonnini,  no  admirer  of  Egypt,  expatiates  on  “ the  generous 
virtues,  the  examples  of  magnanimity  and  affectionate  attachment,  the 
sentiments  ardent,  yet  gentle,  forming  a delightful  unison  with  personal 
charms  in  the  harems  of  the  Mamelukes.” 

As  usual,  the  truth  lies  somewhere  between  the  two  extremes. 
Human  nature,  all  the  world  over,  differs  but  in  degree.  Everywhere 
women  may  be  “ capricious,  coy,  and  hard  to  please”  in  common  con- 
junctures: in  the  hour  of  need  they  will  display  devoted  heroism. 
Any  chronicler  of  the  Afghan  war  will  bear  witness  that  warm  hearts, 
noble  sentiments,  and  an  overflowing  kindness  to  the  poor,  the  weak, 
and  the  unhappy,  are  found  even  in  a harem.  Europe  now  knows  that 
the  Moslem  husband  provides  separate  apartments  and  a distinct  esta- 
blishment for  each  of  his  wives,  unless,  as  sometimes  happens,  one  be  an 
old  woman  and  the  other  a child.  And,  confessing  that  envy,  hatred, 
and  malice  often  flourish  in  polygamy,  the  Moslem  asks,  Is  monogamy 
open  to  no  objections?  As  far  as  my  limited  observations  go,  poly- 
andry is  the  only  state  of  society  in  which  jealousy  and  quarrels  about 
the  sex  are  the  exception  and  not  the  rule  of  life. 

In  quality  of  doctor  I have  seen  a little  and  heard  much  of  the 
harem.  It  very  much  resembles  a European  home  composed  of  a man, 
his  wife,  and  his  mother.  And  I have  seen  in  the  West  many  a “ happy 
fire-side  ” fitter  to  make  Miss  Martineau’s  heart  ache  than  any  harem  in 
Grand  Cairo. 


STYLE  OF  THE  ARAB  POETS. 


327 


mankind,  I should  attribute  the  origin  of  love  to  the  influ 
ence  of  the  Arabs’  poetry  and  chivalry  upon  European 
ideas  rather  than  to  mediaeval  Christianity. 

In  pastoral  life,  tribes  often  meet  for  a time,  live  together 
whilst  pasturage  lasts,  and  then  separate  perhaps  for  a gene- 
ration. Under  such  circumstance  youths  will  lose  heart  to 
maidens,  whom  possibly,  by  the  laws  of  the  clan,  they  may 
not  marry,*  and  the  light  o’  love  will  fly  her  home.  The 
fugitives  must  brave  every  danger,  for  revenge,  at  all  times 
the  Bedouin’s  idol,  now  becomes  the  lode-star  of  his  exist- 
ence. But  the  Arab  lover  will  dare  all  consequences. 
“Men  have  died  and  the  worms  have  eaten  them,  but  not  for 
love,”  may  be  true  in  the  W est ; it  is  false  in  the  East.  This 
is  attested  in  every  tale  where  love,  and  not  ambition,  is  the 
groundwork  of  the  narrative.f  And  nothing  can  be  more 
tender,  more  pathetic  than  the  use  made  of  these  separations 
and  long  absences  by  the  old  Arab  poets.  Whoever  peruses 
the  Suspended  Poem  of  Lebid,  will  find  thoughts  at  once 
so  plaintive  and  so  noble,  that  even  Dr.  Carlyle’s  learned 
verse  cannot  wholly  deface  their  charm.  The  author  returns 
from  afar.  He  looks  upon  the  traces  of  hearth  and  home 
still  furrowing  the  desert  ground.  In  bitterness  of  spirit 

* There  is  no  objection  to  intermarriage  between  equal  clans,  but 
the  higher  will  not  give  their  daughters  to  the  lower  in  dignity. 

I For  instance : “ A certain  religious  man  was  so  deeply  affected 
with  the  love  of  a king’s  daughter,  that  he  was  brought  to  the  brink  of 
the  grave,”  is  a favorite  inscriptive  formula.  Usually  the  hero  “ sickens 
in  consequence  of  the  heroine’s  absence,  and  continues  to  the  hour  of 
his  death  in  the  utmost  grief  and  anxiety.”  He  rarely  kills  himself, 
but  sometimes,  when  in  love  with  a pretty  infidel,  he  drinks  wine  and 
he  burns  the  Koran.  The  “ hated  rival”  is  not  a formidable  person ; 
but  there  are  for  good  reasons  great  jealousy  of  female  friends,  and  not  a 
little  fear  of  the  beloved’s  kinsmen.  Such  are  the  material  sentiments ; 
the  spiritual  part  is  a thread  of  mysticism,  upon  which  all  the  pearls  of 
adventure  and  accident  are  strung. 


328  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

he  checks  himself  from  calling  aloud  upon  his  lovers  and 
his  friends.  He  melts  at  the  remembrance  of  their  depart- 
ure, and  long  indulges  in  the  absorbing  theme.  Then  he 
strengthens  himself  by  the  thought  of  Nawara’s  inconstancy, 
how  she  left  him  and  never  thought  of  him  again.  He 
impatiently  dwells  upon  the  charms  of  the  places  which 
detain  her,  advocates  flight  from  the  changing  lover  and 
the  false  friend,  and,  in  the  exultation  with  which  he  feels 
his  swift  dromedary  start  under  him  upon  her  rapid  course, 
he  seems  to  find  some  consolation  for  woman’s  perfidy  and 
forgetfulness.  Yet  he  cannot  abandon  Nawara’s  name  or 
memory.  Again  he  dwells  with  yearning  upon  scenes  of 
past  felicity,  and  he  boasts  of  his  prowess — a fresh  reproach 
to  her — of  his  gentle  birth,  and  of  his  hospitality.  He  ends 
with  an  encomium  upon  his  clan,  to  which  he  attributes,  as 
a noble  Arab  should,  all  the  virtues  of  man.  This  is  Gold- 
smith’s deserted  village  in  El  Hejaz.  But  the  Arab,  with 
equal  simplicity  and  pathos,  has  a fire,  a force  of  language, 
and  a depth  of  feeling,  which  the  Irishman,  admirable  as 
his  verse  is,  could  never  rival. 

In  the  early  days  of  El  Islam,  if  history  be  credible, 
Arabia  had  a race  of  heroines.  Within  the  last  century, 
Ghaliyah,  the  wife  of  a Wahhabi  chief,  opposed  Mohammed 
Ali  himself  in  many  a bloody  field.  A few  years  ago,  when 
Ibn  Asm,  popularly  called  Ibn  Rumi,  chief  of  the  Zabayd 
clan  about  Rabigh,  was  treacherously  slain  by  the  Turkish 
general,  Kurdi  Usman,  his  sister,  a fair  young  girl,  deter- 
mined to  revenge  him.  She  fixed  upon  the  “ Arafat-day” 
of  pilgrimage  for  the  accomplishment  of  her  designs,  dis- 
guised herself  in  male  attire,  drew  her  kerchief  in  the  form 
“ lisam”  over  the  lower  part  of  her  face,  and  with  lighted 
match  awaited  her  enemy.  The  Turk,  however,  was  not 
present,  and  the  girl  was  arrested  to  win  for  herself  a local 
reputation  equal  to  the  maid  of  Salamanca.  Thus  it  is  that 


THE  SONGS  OF  ANTAR. 


329 


the  Arab  has  learned  to  swear  that  great  oath  “ by  the 
honor  of  my  women.” 

The  Bedouins  are  not  without  a certain  Platonic  affection, 
which  they  call  “ Hawa  uzri,” — pardonable  love.  They 
draw  the  fine  line  between  amant  and  amoureux : this  is 
derided  by  the  townspeople,  little  suspecting  how  much 
such  a custom  says  in  favor  of  the  wild  men.  In  the  cities, 
however,  it  could  not  prevail.  Arabs,  like  other  Orientals, 
hold  that,  in  such  matters,  man  is  saved,  not  by  faith,  but 
by  want  of  faith.  They  have  also  a saying,  not  unlike 
ours — 

“ She  partly  is  to  blame  who  has  been  tried, 

He  comes  too  near  who  comes  to  be  denied.” 

The  evil  of  this  system  is  that  they,  like  certain  southerns, 
pensa7io  sempre  al  male — always  suspect,  which  may  be 
worldly  wise,  and  also  always  show  their  suspicions,  which 
is  assuredly  foolish.  For  thus  they  demoralize  their  women, 
who  might  be  kept  in  the  way  of  right  by  self-respect  and 
a sense  of  duty. 

From  ancient  periods  of  the  Arab’s  history  we  find  him 
practising  “ knight-errantry,”  the  wildest  form  of  chivalry. 
“ The  Songs  of  Antar,”  says  the  author  of  the  “ Crescent 
and  the  Cross,”  “ show  little  of  the  true  chivalric  spirit.” 
What  thinks  the  reader  of  sentiments  like  these  ? u This 
valiant  man,”  remarks  Antar  (who  was  “ ever  interested 
for  the  weaker  sex”),  “ hath  defended  the  honor  of  women.” 
We  read  in  another  place,  “ Mercy,  my  lord,  is  the  noblest 
qnality  of  the  noble.”  Again,  “ It  is  the  most  ignominious 
of  deeds  to  take  free-born  women  prisoners.”  “ Bear  not 
malice,  O Shibub,”  quoth  the  hero,  “ for  of  malice  good 
never  came.”  Is  there  no  true  greatness  in  this  sentiment  ? 
— “ Birth  is  the  boast  of  the  faineant ; noble  is  the  youth 
who  beareth  every  ill,  who  clotheth  himself  in  mail  during 


330  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAII  AND  MECCAH. 

the  noon-tide  heat,  and  who  wandereth  through  the  outer 
darkness  of  night.”  And  why  does  the  “ knight  of  knights” 
love  Ibla  ? Because  “ she  is  blooming  as  the  sun  at  dawn, 
with  hair  black  as  the  midnight  shades,  with  Paradise  in 
her  eye,  her  bosom  an  enchantment,  and  a form  waving 
like  the  tamarisk  when  the  soft  wind  blows  from  the  hills 
of  Nejd  ?”  Yes,  but  his  chest  expands  also  with  the 
thoughts  of  her  “ faith,  purity,  and  affection,” — it  is  her 
moral  as  well  as  her  material  excellence  that  makes  her  the 
hero’s  “ hope,  and  hearing,  and  sight.”  Briefly,  in  Antar 
I discern 


“ — A love  exalted  high, 

By  all  the  glow  of  chivalry 

and  I lament  to  see  so  many  intelligent  travellers  misjudg- 
ing the  Arab  after  a superficial  experience  of  a few  debased 
Syrians  or  Sinaites.  The  true  children  of  Antar  have  not 
“ ceased  to  be  gentlemen.” 

In  the  days  of  ignorance,  it  was  the  custom  for  Bedouins, 
when  tormented  by  the  tender  passion,  which  seems  to 
have  attacked  them  in  the  form  of  “ possession,”  for  long 
years  to  sigh  and  wail  and  wander,  doing  the  most  trucu- 
lent deeds  to  melt  the  obdurate  fair.  When  Arabia 
Islamized,  the  practice  changed  its  element  for  proselytism. 
The  Fourth  Caliph  is  fabled  to  have  travelled  far,  redress- 
ing the  injured,  punishing  the  injur er,  preaching  to  the 
infidel,  and  especially  protecting  women — the  chief  end  and 
aim  of  knighthood.  The  Caliph  El  Mutasem  heard  in  the 
assembly  of  his  courtiers  that  a woman  of  Sayyid  family  had 
been  taken  prisoner  by  a “ Greek  barbarian”  of  Ammoria. 
The  man  on  one  occasion  struck  her,  when  she  cried, 
“Help  me,  O Mutasem!”  and  the  clown  said  derisively, 
“ Wait  till  he  cometh  upon  his  pied  steed!”  The  chival- 
rous prince  arose,  sealed  up  the  wine  cup  which  he  held  in 


BEDOUIN  POETRY. 


331 


his  hand,  took  oath  to  do  his  knightly  devoir , and  on  the 
morrow  started  for  Ammoria,  with  70,000  men,  each  mounted 
on  a piebald  charger.  Having  taken  the  place,  he  entered 
it,  exclaiming,  “ Labbayki,  Labbayki !” — Here  am  I at 
thy  call.  He  struck  off  the  caitiff’s  head,  released  the 
lady  with  his  own  hands,  ordered  the  cupbearer  to  bring 
the  sealed  bowl,  and  drank  from  it,  exclaiming,  “Now, 
indeed,  wine  is  good  !” 

It  is  the  existence  of  this  chivalry  among  the  “ Children 
of  Antar”  which  makes  the  society  of  Bedouins  (“damned 
saints,”  perchance,  and  “ honorable  villains,”)  so  delightful 
to  the  traveller  who  understands  and  is  understood  by  them. 
Your  guide  will  protect  you  with  blade  and  spear,  even 
against  his  kindred,  and  he  expects  you  to  do  the  same  for 
him.  You  may  give  a man  the  lie,  but  you  must  lose  no 
time  in  baring  your  sword.  If  involved  in  dispute  with 
overwhelming  numbers,  you  address  some  elder,  “Dak- 
hilak  ya  Shaykh  ! ” — (I  am)  thy  protected,  O Sir, — and  he 
will  espouse  your  quarrel,  and,  indeed,  with  greater  heat 
and  energy  than  if  it  were  his  own.  But  why  multiply  in- 
stances ? 

The  language  of  love  and  war  and  all  excitement  is 
poetry,  and  here,  again,  the  Bedouin  excels.  Travellers 
complain  that  the  wild  men  cease  to  sing.  This  is  true  if 
“poet”  be  limited  to  a few  authors  whose  existence  every- 
where depends  upon  the  accidents  of  patronage  or  politi- 
cal occurrences.  A far  stronger  evidence  of  poetic  feeling 
is  afforded  by  the  phraseology  of  the  Arab,  and  the  highly 
imaginative  turn  of  his  commonest  expressions.  Destitute 
of  the  poetic  taste,  as  we  define  it,  he  certainly  is : as  in  the 
Milesian,  wit  and  fancy,  vivacity  and  passion,  are  too  strong 
for  reason  and  judgment,  the  reins  which  guide  Apollo’s 
car.  And  although  the  Bedouins  no  longer  boast  a Lebid 
or  a Maisunah,  yet  they  are  passionately  fond  of  their  an- 


332  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

cient  bards.*  A man  skilful  in  reading  El  Mutanabi  and 
the  Suspended  Poems  would  be  received  by  them  with  the 
honors  paid  by  civilization  to  the  travelling  millionnaire.  f 
I cannot  well  explain  the  effect  of  Arab  poetry  to  one 
who  has  not  visited  the  Desert.J  Apart  from  the  pomp  of 
words  and  the  music  of  the  sound,  there  is  a dreaminess  of 
idea  and  a haze  thrown  over  the  object,  infinitely  attractive, 
but  indescribable.  Description,  indeed,  would  rob  the  song 
of  indistinctness,  its  essence.  To  borrow  a simile  from  a 
sister  art,  the  Arab  poet  sets  before  the  mental  eye  the 
dim  grand  outlines  of  a picture, — which  must  be  filled  up  by 
the  reader,  guided  only  by  a few  glorious  touches,  power- 
fully standing  out,  and  the  sentiment  which  the  scene  is 
intended  to  express ; — whereas,  we  Europeans  and  moderns, 


* I am  informed  that  the  Beni  Kahtan  still  improvise,  but  I never 
heard  them.  The  traveller  in  Arabia  will  always  be  told  that  some  re- 
mote clan  still  produces  mighty  bards,  and  uses  in  conversation  the  ter- 
minal vowels  of  the  classic  tongue,  but  he  will  not  believe  these  asser- 
tions till  personally  convinced  of  their  truth. 

The  Bedouin  dialect,  however,  though  debased,  is  still,  as  of  yore, 
purer  than  the  language  of  the  citizens.  During  the  days  when  philo- 
logy  was  a passion  in  the  East,  those  Stephens  and  Johnsons  of  Semitic 
lore,  Firuzabadi  and  El  Zamakhshari,  wandered  from  tribe  to  tribe  and 
tent  to  tent,  collecting  words  and  elucidating  disputed  significations. 
Their  grammatical  adventures  are  still  remembered,  and  are  favorite 
stories  with  scholars. 

f I say  “ skilful  in  reading,”  because  the  Arabs,  like  the  Spaniards, 
hate  to  hear  their  language  mangled  by  mispronunciation.  When  Burck- 
hardt,  who  spoke  badly,  began  to  read  verse  to  the  Bedouins,  they  could 
not  refrain  from  a movement  of  impatience,  and  used  to  snatch  the  book 
out  of  his  hands. 

$ The  civilised  poets  of  the  Arab  cities  throw  the  charm  of  the 
Desert  over  their  verse,  by  images  borrowed  from  its  scenery — the 
dromedary,  the  mirage,  and  the  well — as  naturally  as  certain  of  our 
songsters,  confessedly  haters  of  the  country,  babble  of  distant  kine, 
shady  groves,  spring  showers,  and  purling  rills. 


I 


BRIGANDAGE  HONORABLE  AMONG  THE  BEDOUINS.  333 

by  stippling  and  minute  touches,  produce  a miniature  on  a 
large  scale  so  objective  as  to  exhaust  rather  than  to  arouse 
reflection.  As  the  poet  is  a creator,  the  Arab’s  is  poetry, 
the  European’s  versical  description.  The  language  leaves 
a mysterious  vagueness  between  the  relation  of  word  to 
word,  which  materially  assists  the  sentiment,  not  the  sense, 
of  the  poem.  When  verbs  and  nouns  have — each  one — 
many  different  significations,  only  the  radical  or  general 
idea  suggests  itself.  Rich  and  varied  synonyms,  illustrating 
the  finest  shades  of  meaning,  are  artfully  used ; now  scat- 
tered to  startle  us  by  distinctness,  now  to  form  as  it  were 
a star  about  which  dimly  seen  satellites  revolve.  There  is 
in  the  Semitic  dialect  a copiousness  of  rhyme  which  leaves 
the  poet  almost  unfettered  to  choose  the  desired  expression. 
Hence  it  is  that  a stranger  speaking  Arabic  becomes  poet- 
ical as  naturally  as  he  would  be  witty  in  French  and  philo- 
sophic in  German.  Truly  spake  Mohammed  el  Damiri, 
“ Wisdom  hath  alighted  upon  three  things — the  brain  of  the 
Franks,  the  hands  of  the  Chinese,  and  the  tongues  of  the 
Arabs.” 

The  name  of  “ harami  ” — brigand — is  still  honorable 
among  the  Hejazi  Bedouins.  Slain  in  raid  or  foray,  a man 
is  said  to  die  “ghandfir,”  or  a brave.  He,  on  the  other 
hand,  who  is  lucky  enough,  as  we  should  express  it,  to  die 
in  his  bed,  is  called  ufatis”  (carrion),  his  weeping  mother 
will  exclaim,  “O  that  my  son  had  perished  of  a cut  throat!” 
and  her  attendant  crones  will  suggest,  with  deference,  that 
such  evil  came  of  the  will  of  Allah.  It  is  told  of  the  La- 
habah,  a sub-family  of  the  Auf  near  Rabigh,  that  a girl  will 
refuse  even  her  cousin  unless,  in  the  absence  of  other  op- 
portunities, he  plunder  some  article  from  the  Hajj  caravan 
in  front  of  the  Pacha’s  links.  Detected  twenty  years  ago, 
the  delinquent  would  have  been  impaled ; now  he  escapes 
with  a rib-roasting.  Fear  of  the  blood-feud,  and  the  cer- 


334  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

tainty  of  a shut  road  to  future  travellers,  prevent  the  Turks 
proceeding  to  extremes.  They  conceal  their  weakness  by 
pretending  that  the  Sultan  hesitates  to  wage  a war  of  ex- 
termination with  the  thieves  of  the  Holy  Land.  Hence, 
petty  pilfering  has  re-appeared  in  El-Hejaz. 

The  true  Bedouin  style  of  plundering,  with  its  nume- 
rous niceties  of  honor  and  gentlemanly  manners,  gives  the 
robber  a consciousness  of  moral  rectitude.  “ Strip  off  that 
coat,  O certain  person!  and  that  turban,”  exclaims  the 
highwayman,  u they  are  wanted  by  my  lady-cousin.”  You 
will  (of  course  if  necessary)  lend  ready  ear  to  an  order  thus 
politely  attributed  to  the  wants  of  the  fair  sex.  If  you  will 
add  a few  obliging  expressions  to  the  bundle,  and  offer 
Latro  a cup  of  coffee  and  a pipe,  you  will  talk  half  your 
toilette  back  to  your  person  ; and  if  you  can  quote  a little 
poetry,  you  will  part  the  best  of  friends,  leaving  perhaps 
only  a pair  of  sandals  behind  you.  But  should  you  hesi- 
tate, Latro , lamenting  the  painful  necessity,  touches  up 
your  back  with  the  heel  of  his  spear.  If  this  hint  suffice 
not,  he  will  make  things  plain  by  the  lance’s  point,  and 
when  blood  shows,  the  tiger-part  of  humanity  appears. 

I omit  general  details  about  the  often  described  Sar 
(Thar),  or  Vendetta.  The  price  of  blood  is  800  dollars 
— 200£),  or  rather  that  sum  imperfectly  expressed  by  live- 
stock. All  the  blood  relations  of  the  slayer  assist  to  make 
up  the  required  amount,  rating  each  animal  at  three  or 
four  times  its  proper  value.  On  such  occasions  violent 
scenes  arise  from  the  conflict  of  the  Arab’s  two  pet  pas- 
sions, avarice  and  revenge. 

The  “ avenger  of  blood  ” longs  to  cut  the  foe’s  throat. 
On  the  other  hand,  how  let  slip  an  opportunity  of  enriching 
himself?  His  covetousness  is  intense,  as  are  all  his  pas- 
sions. He  has  always  a project  of  buying  a new  drome- 
dary, or  of  investing  capital  in  some  marvellous  colt ; the 


BEDOUIN  SPORTS. 


335 


consequence  is,  that  he  is  insatiable.  Still  he  receives 
blood-money  with  a feeling  of  shame ; and  if  it  be  offered 
to  an  old  woman — the  most  revengeful  variety  of  our 
species,  be  it  remarked, — she  will  dash  it  to  the  ground, 
and  clutch  her  knife,  and  fiercely  swear  by  Allah  that 
she  will  not  eat  her  son’s  blood. 

The  Bedouin  considers  himself  a man  only  when  mounted 
on  horseback,  lance  in  hand,  bound  for  a foray  or  a fray, 
carolling  some  such  gaiety  as — 

“ A steede  l a steede  of  matchlesse  speede  1 
A sword  of  metal  keene ! 

All  else  to  noble  minds  is  drosse, 

All  else  on  earth  is  meane.” 

Even  in  his  sports  he  affects  those  that  imitate  war. 
Preserving  the  instinctive  qualities  which  lie  dormant  in 
civilisation,  he  is  an  admirable  “Venator.”  The  children, 
men  in  miniature,  begin  a rude  system  of  gymnastics  when 
they  can  walk.  u My  young  ones  play  upon  the  backs  of 
camels,”  was  the  reply  made  to  me  by  a Jehayni  Bedouin 
when  offered  some  Egyptian  plaything.  The  men  pass 
their  time  principally  in  hawking,  shooting,  and  riding. 
The  “ Sakr,”  I am  told,  is  the  only  falcon  in  general  use  ; 
they  train  it  to  pursue  the  gazelle,  which  greyhounds  pull 
down  when  fatigued.  I have  heard  much  of  their  excel- 
lent marksmanship,  but  saw  only  moderate  practice  with 
a long  matchlock  rested  and  fired  at  standing  objects. 
Double-barrelled  guns  are  rare  amongst  them.*  Their 
principal  weapons  are  matchlocks  and  firelocks,  pistols, 
javelins,  spears,  swords,  and  the  dagger  called  u Jambiyah;” 
the  sling  and  the  bow  have  long  been  given  up.  The  guns 
come  from  Egypt,  Syria,  and  Turkey ; for  the  Bedouin 

* Here  called  “ baadukiyah  bi  rubayn,”  or  the  two-mouthed  guu. 


336  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

cannot  make,  although  he  can  repair,  this  arm.  He  parti- 
cularly values  a good  old  barrel  seven  spans  long,  and 
would  rather  keep  it  than  his  coat ; consequently,  a family 
often  boasts  of  four  or  five  guns,  which  descend  from  ge- 
neration to  generation.  The  price  of  a gun  varies  from 
two  to  sixty  dollars.  The  Bedouins  collect  nitre  in  the 
country,  make  excellent  charcoal,  and  import  sulphur  from 
Egypt  and  India ; their  powder,  however,  is  coarse  and 
weak.  For  hares  and  birds  they  cut  up  into  slugs  a bar  of 
lead  hammered  out  to  a convenient  size,  and  they  cast  bul- 
lets in  moulds.  They  are  fond  of  ball-practice,  firing,  as 
every  sensible  man  does,  at  short  distances,  and  striving  at 
extreme  precision.  They  are  fond  of  backing  themselves 
with  wagers,  and  will  shoot  for  a sheep,  the  loser  inviting 
his  friends  to  a feast.  On  festivals  they  boil  a sheep’s 
head,  and  use  it  as  mark  and  prize.  Those  who  affect  ex- 
cellence are  said  to  fire  at  a bullet  hanging  by  a thread ; 
curious,  however,  to  relate,  the  Bedouins  of  El  Hejaz  have 
but  just  learned  the  art,  general  in  Persia  and  Barbary,  of 
shooting  from  horseback  at  speed. 

Pistols  have  been  lately  introduced  into  the  Hejaz,  and 
are  not  common  amongst  the  Bedouins.  The  citizens  are 
fond  of  this  weapon,  as  it  is  derived  from  Constantinople. 

The  spears,  called  Kanat,  or  reeds,  are  made  of  male 
bamboos  imported  from  India.  They  are  about  twelve 
feet  long,  iron  shod,  with  a long  tapering  point,  beneath 
which  are  one  or  two  tufts  of  black  ostrich  feathers.  Be- 
sides the  Mirzak,  or  javelin,  they  have  a spear  called 
“ Shalfah,”  a bamboo  or  palmstick  garnished  with  a head 
about  the  breadth  of  a man’s  hand. 

No  good  swords  are  fabricated  in  El  Hejaz.  The 
Khelawiyah  and  other  Desert  clans  have  made  some  poor 
attempts  at  blades.  They  are  brought  from  Persia,  India, 
and  Egypt ; but  I never  saw  anything  of  value. 


BEDOUIN  MUSIC. 


337 


The  Darakah,  or  shield,  also  comes  from  India.  It  is 
the  common  Cutch  article,  supposed  to  be  made  of  rhinoce- 
ros hide,  and  displaying  as  much  brass  knob  and  gold  wash 
as  possible.  The  Bedouins  still  use  in  the  remoter  parts 
Diraa,  or  coats  of  mail,  worn  by  horsemen  over  buff  jackets. 

The  dagger  is  made  in  Yemen  and  other  places  ; it  has 
a vast  variety  of  shapes,  each  of  which,  as  usual,  has  its 
proper  name.  Generally  they  are  but  little  curved  (whereas 
the  gadaymi  of  Yemen  and  Hazramaut  is  almost  a semicir- 
cle), with  tapering  blade,  wrooden  handle,  and  scabbard  of 
the  same  material  overlaid  with  brass.  At  the  point  of  the 
scabbard  is  a round  knob,  and  the  weapon  is  so  long,  that 
a man  when  walking  cannot  swing  his  right  arm.  In  nar- 
row places  he  must  enter  sideways.  But  it  is  the  mode 
always  to  appear  in  dagger,  and  the  weapon,  like  the 
French  soldier’s  coupe-choux , is  really  useful  for  such  blood- 
less purposes  as  cutting  wood  and  gathering  grass.  In  # 
price  they  vary  from  one  to  thirty  dollars. 

The  Hejazi  Bedouins  have  no  game  of  chance,  and  dare 
not,  I am  told,  ferment  the  juice  of  the  Daum  palm,  as 
proximity  to  Aden  has  taught  the  wild  men  of  Yemen. 
Their  music  is  in  a rude  state.  The  principal  instrument 
is  the  tabl  or  kettle-drum,  which  is  of  two  kinds  ; one,  the 
smaller,  used  at  festivals ; the  other  a large  copper  “ tom- 
tom,” for  martial  purposes,  covered  with  leather,  and 
played  upon,  pulpit-like,  with  fist  and  not  with  stick.  Be- 
sides which,  they  have  the  one-stringed  Rubabah,  or  guitar, 
that  “monotonous,  but  charming  instrument  of  the  Desert.” 
In  another  place  I have  described  their  dancing,  which  is 
an  ignoble  spectacle. 

The  Bedouins  of  El  Hejaz  have  all  the  knowledge 
necessary  for  procuring  and  protecting  the  riches  of  savage 
life.  They  are  perfect  in  the  breeding,  the  training,  and 
the  selling  of  cattle.  They  know  sufficient  of  astronomy  to 

15 


338  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINA H AND  MECCAH. 

guide  themselves  by  night,  and  are  acquainted  with  the 
names  of  the  principal  stars.  Their  local  memory  is  wonder- 
ful. Such  is  their  instinct  in  the  art  of  Asar,  or  tracking, 
that  it  is  popularly  said  of  the  Zubayd  clan,  which  lives 
between  Meccah  and  El  Medinah,  a man  will  lose  a she 
camel  and  know  her  four-year-old  colt  by  its  foot.  Always 
engaged  in  rough  exercises  and  perilous  journeys,  they  have 
learned  a kind  of  farriery  and  a simple  system  of  surgery. 
In  cases  of  fracture  they  bind  on  splints  with  cloth  bands, 
and  the  patient  drinks  camel’s  milk  and  clarified  butter  till 
he  is  cured.  Cut-wounds  are  washed  carefully,  sprinkled 
with  meal  gunpowder,  and  sewn  up.  They  dress  gunshot 
wounds  with  raw  camels’  flesh,  and  rely  entirely  upon  nature 
and  diet.  When  bitten  by  snakes  or  stung  by  scorpious 
they  scarify  the  wound  with  a razor,  recite  a charm,  and 
apply  to  it  a dressing  of  garlic.  The  wealthy  have  “ fiss,” 
or  ring-stones,  brought  from  India,  and  used  with  a formula 
of  prayer  to  extract  venom.  Some  few  possess  the  “Teri- 
yak”  (Theriack)  of  El  Irak — the  great  counter-poison, 
internal  as  well  as  external,  of  the  East.  The  poorer 
classes  all  wear  the  “ hibas”  of  Yemen  ; two  yarns  of  black 
sheep’s  wool  tied  round  the  leg,  under  the  knee  and  above 
the  ankle.  When  bitten,  the  sufferer  tightens  these  cords 
above  the  injured  part,  which  he  immediately  scarifies ; 
thus  they  act  as  tourniquets.  The  Bedouin’s  knowledge 
of  medicine  is  unusually  limited  in  this  part  of  Arabia, 
where  even  simples  are  not  required  by  a people  who  rise 
with  dawn,  eat  little,  always  breathe  desert  air,  and  “ at 
night  make  the  camels  their  curfew.”  The  great  tonic  is 
clarified  butter,  and  the  “ kay,”  or  actual  cautery,  is  used 
even  for  rheumatism.  This  counter-irritant,  together  with 
a curious  and  artful  phlebotomy,  blood  being  taken,  as  by 
the  Italians,  from  the  toes,  the  fingers,  and  other  parts  of 
the  body,  are  the  Arab  panaceas.  Mules’  teeth,  roasted 


RELIGION  OF  THE  BEDOUINS. 


339 


and  imperfectly  pounded,  cure  cataract.  Teeth  are  extracted 
by  the  farrier’s  pincers,  and  the  worm  which  throughout 
the  East  is  supposed  to  produce  tooth-ache,  falls  by  fumiga- 
tion. And,  finally,  after  great  fatigue,  or  when  suffering 
from  cold,  the  body  is  copiously  greased  with  clarified  but- 
ter and  exposed  to  a blazing  fire. 

Mohammed  and  his  followers  conquered  only  the  more 
civilised  Bedouins ; and  there  is  even  to  this  day  little  or  no 
religion  amongst  the  wild  people,  except  amongst  those  on 
the  coast  or  in  the  vicinity  of  cities.  The  faith  of  the  Be- 
douin comes  from  El  Islam,  whose  hold  is  weak.  But  his 
customs  and  institutions,  the  growth  of  his  climate,  his 
nature,  and  his  wants,  are  still  those  of  his  ancestors,  che- 
rished ere  Meccah  had  sent  forth  a Prophet,  and  likely  to 
survive  the  day  when  every  vestige  of  the  Kaabah  shall  have 
disappeared.  Of  this  nature  are  the  Hejazi’s  pagan  oaths, 
their  heathenish  names  (few  being  Moslem  except  “ Mo- 
hammed”), their  ordeal  of  licking  red-hot  iron,  their  Salkh, 
or  scarification,  proof  of  manliness,  their  blood  revenge, 
their  eating  carrion  (i.  e . the  body  of  an  animal  killed  with- 
out the  usual  formula),  and  their  lending  wives  to  strangers. 
All  these  I hold  to  be  remnants  of  some  old  creed;  nor 
should  I despair  of  finding  among  the  Bedouins  bordering 
upon  the  Great  Desert  some  lingering  system  of  idolatry. 

The  Bedouins  of  El  Hejaz  call  themselves  Shafei;  but 
what  is  put  into  the  mouths  of  their  brethren  in  the  West 
applies  equally  well  here.  “We  pray  not,  because  we  must 
drink  the  water  of  ablution  ; we  give  no  alms,  because  we 
ask  them ; we  fast  not  the  Ramazan  month,  because  we 
starve  throughout  the  year;  and  we  do  no  pilgrimage, 
because  the  world  is  the  House  of  Allah.”  Their  blunders 
in  religious  matters  supply  the  citizens  with  many  droll  sto- 
ries. And  it  is  to  be  observed  that  they  do  not,  like  the 
Greek  pirates  or  the  Italian  bandits,  preserve  a religious 


340  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINA!!  AND  MECCAH. 

element  in  their  plunderings : they  make  no  vows  and  care- 
fully avoid  offerings. 

The  ceremonies  of  Bedouin  life  are  few  and  simple — 
circumcisions,  marriages,  and  funerals. 

Women  being  a marketable  commodity  in  barbarism  as 
in  civilisation,  youths  in  El  Hejaz  are  not  married  till  the 
father  can  afford  to  pay  for  a bride.  There  is  little  pomp 
or  ceremony  save  firing  of  guns,  dancing,  singing,  and  eating 
mutton.  The  “settlement”  is  usually  about  thirty  sound 
Spanish  dollars,  half  paid  down,  and  the  other  half  owed  by 
the  bridegroom  to  the  fathers,  the  brothers,  or  the  kindred 
of  his  spouse.  Some  tribes  will  take  animals  in  lieu  of  ready 
money.  A man  of  wrath  not  contented  with  his  bride,  puts 
her  away  at  once.  If  peaceably  inclined,  by  a short  delay 
he  avoids  scandal.  Divorces  are  very  frequent  among  Be- 
douins, and  if  the  settlement  money  be  duly  paid,  no  evil 
comes  of  them. 

The  funerals  of  the  wild  men  resemble  those  of  the  citi- 
zens, only  they  are  more  simple  ; the  dead  are  buried  where 
they  die.  The  corpse,  after  being  washed,  is  shrouded  in 
any  rags  procurable,  and,  women  and  hired  weepers  not 
being  permitted  to  attend,  is  carried  to  the  grave  by  men 
only.  A hole  is  dug,  according  to  Moslem  custom;  dry 
wood,  which  everywhere  abounds,  is  disposed  to  cover  the 
corpse,  and  an  oval  of  stones  surrounding  a mound  of  earth 
keeps  out  jackals  and  denotes  the  spot.  These  Bedouins 
have  not,  like  the  wild  Sindhis  and  Belochis,  favorite  ceme- 
teries, to  which  they  transport  their  dead  from  afar. 

The  traveller  will  find  no  difficulty  in  living  amongst  the 
Hejazi  Bedouins.  “ Trust  to  their  honor  and  you  are  safe,” 
as  was  said  of  the  Crow  Indians,  “ to  their  honesty,  and 
they  will  steal  the  hair  off  your  head.”  Only  the  wanderer 
must  adopt  the  wild  man’s  motto,  “ omnia  mea  mecum 
portof'  he  must  have  good  nerves,  be  capable  of  fatigue  and 


ARAB  GOVERNMENT. 


341 


hardship,  and  possess  some  knowledge  of  drugs,  shoot  and 
ride  well,  speak  Arabic  and  Turkish,  know  by  reading  the 
customs,  and  avoid  offending  against  local  prejudices,  by 
causing  himself,  for  instance,  to  be  called  “ Taggaa.”  Cau- 
tion must  be  exercised  in  choosing  a companion  who  has  not 
too  many  blood  feuds.  There  is  no  objection  to  carrying  a 
copper  watch  and  a pocket  compass,  and  a Koran  could  be 
fitted  with  secret  pockets  for  notes  and  pencil.  Strangers 
should  especially  avoid  handsome  weapons : these  tempt  the 
Bedouins’  cupidity  more  than  gold.  The  other  extreme, 
defencelessness,  is  equally  objectionable.  It  is  needless  to 
say  that  the  traveller  must  never  be  seen  writing  anything 
but  charms,  and  on  no  account  sketch  in  public.  He  should 
be  careful  in  questioning,  and  rather  lead  up  to  information 
than  ask  directly.  It  offends  some  Bedouins,  besides  denot- 
ing ignorance  and  curiosity,  to  be  asked  their  names  or 
those  of  their  clans : a man  may  be  living  incognito,  and  the 
tribes  distinguish  themselves  when  they  desire  to  do  so  by 
dress,  personal  appearance,  voice,  dialect,  and  accentuation, 
points  of  difference  plain  to  the  initiated.  A few  dollars 
suffice  for  the  road,  and  if  you  would  be  u respectable,”  a 
taste  which  I dare  not  deprecate,  some  such  presents  as 
razors  and  Tarbushes  are  required  for  the  chiefs. 

The  government  of  the  Arabs  may  be  called  almost  an 
autonomy.  The  tribes  never  obey  their  shaykhs,  unless  for 
personal  considerations,  and,  as  in  a civilised  army,  there 
generally  is  some  sharp-witted  and  brazen-faced  individual 
whose  voice  is  louder  than  the  general’s.  In  their  leonine 
society  the  sword  is  the  great  administrator  of  law. 

The  Arab’s  dress  marks  his  simplicity ; it  gives  him  a 
nationality,  as,  according  to  John  Evelyn,  “ prodigious 
breeches  ” did  to  the  Swiss.  It  is  remarkably  picturesque, 
and  with  sorrow  we  see  it  now  confined  to  the  wildest 
Bedouins  and  a few  Sherifs.  The  necessary  dress  of  a man  is 


342  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

his  Saub  (Tobe),  a blue  calico  shirt,  reaching  from  neck  to 
ankles,  tight  or  loose-sleeved,  opening  at  the  chest  in  front, 
and  rather  narrow  below  ; so  that  the  wearer,  when  running, 
must  either  hold  it  up  or  tuck  it  into  his  belt.  The  latter 
article,  called  Hakw,  is  a plaited  leathern  thong,  twisted 
round  the  waist  very  tightly,  so  as  to  support  the  back. 
The  trowsers  and  the  “Futah,”  or  loin  cloth  of  cities,  are 
looked  upon  as  signs  of  effeminacy.  In  cold  weather  the 
chiefs  wear  over  the  shirt  an  Aba,  or  cloak.  These  garments 
are  made  in  Nejd  and  the  eastern  districts ; they  are  of  four 
colors,  white,  black,  red,  and  brown-striped.  The  best  are 
of  camel’ s-h  air,  and  may  cost  fifteen  dollars ; the  worst,  of 
sheep’s  wool,  are  worth  only  three ; both  are  cheap,  as  they 
last  for  years.  The  Mahramah  (head-cloth)  comes  from 
Syria  ; which,  with  Nejd,  supplies  also  the  Kufiyah,  or  head- 
kerchief.  The  “ Ukal,”  fillets  bound  over  the  kerchief,  are 
of  many  kinds  ; the  Bisher  tribe  near  Meccah  make  a kind 
of  crown  like  the  gloria  round  a saint’s  head,  with  bits  of 
wood,  in  which  are  set  pieces  of  mother-o’-pearl.  Sandals, 
too,  are  of  every  description,  from  the  simple  sole  of  leather 
tied  on  with  thongs,  to  the  handsome  and  elaborate  chaus- 
sure  of  Meccah ; the  price  varies  from  a piastre  to  a dollar, 
and  the  very  poor  walk  bare-footed.  A leathern  bandoleer, 
called  Majdal,  passed  over  the  left  shoulder,  and  reaching 
to  the  right  hip,  supports  a line  of  brass  cylinders  for  cartrid- 
ges. The  other  cross-belt  (El  Masdar),  made  of  leather, 
ornamented  with  brass  rings,  hangs  down  at  the  left  side, 
and  carries  a Kharizah,  or  hide-case  for  bullets.  And  finally, 
the  Hizam,  or  waist-belt,  holds  the  dagger  and  extra  car- 
tridge cases.  A Bedouin  never  appears  in  public  unarmed. 

The  women  wear,  like  their  masters,  dark  blue  cotton 
Tobes,  but  larger  and  looser.  When  abroad  they  cover  the 
head  with  a yashmak  of  black  stuff,  or  poppy-colored  Burka 
of  the  Egyptian  shape.  They  wear  no  pantaloons,  and 


FOOD  OF  THE  BEDOUINS. 


343 


rarely  slippers  or  sandals.  The  hair  is  twisted  into  “ Majdul,” 
little  pig-tails,  and  copiously  anointed  with  clarified  butter. 
The  rich  perfume  the  skin  with  rose  and  cinnamon-scented 
oils,  and  wear  in  their  hair  El  Shayh,  sweetest  herb  of  the 
desert ; their  ornaments  are  bracelets,  collars,  ear  and  nose- 
rings of  gold,  silver,  or  silver-gilt.  The  poorer  classes 
wear  strings  of  silver  coins  hung  round  the  neck. 

The  true  Bedouin  is  an  abstemious  man,  capable  of  liv- 
ing for  six  months  on  ten  ounces  of  food  per  diem ; the 
milk  of  a single  camel,  and  a handful  of  dates  dry,  or  fried 
in  clarified  butter,  suffice  for  his  wants.  He  despises  the 
obese  and  all  who  require  regular  and  plentiful  meals, 
sleeps  on  a mat,  and  knows  neither  luxury  nor  comfort, 
freezing  during  one  quarter  and  frying  three  quarters 
of  the  year.  But  though  he  can  endure  hunger  like  all 
savages,  he  will  gorge  when  an  opportunity  offers.  I never 
saw  the  man  who  could  refrain  from  water  upon  the  line  of 
march.  They  are  still  “ acridophagi,”  and  even  the  citizens 
far  prefer  a dish  of  locusts  to  the  “ fasikh,”  which  act  as 
anchovies,  sardines,  and  herrings  in  Egypt.  They  light  a 
fire  at  night,  and  as  the  insects  fall  dead  they  quote  this 
couplet  to  justify  their  being  eaten — 

“ We  are  allowed  two  carrions  and  two  bloods, 

The  fish  and  locusts,  the  liver  and  the  spleen.” 

Where  they  have  no  crops  to  lose,  the  people  are  thank- 
ful for  a fall  of  locusts.  In  El  Hejaz  the  flights  are 
uncertain ; during  the  last  five  years  El  Medinah  has  seen 
but  few.  They  are  prepared  for  eating  by  boiling  in  salt 
water  and  drying  four  or  five  days  in  the  sun : a “ wet  ” 
locust  to  an  Arab  is  as  a snail  to  a Briton.  The  head  is 
plucked  off,  the  stomach  drawn,  the  wings  and  the  prickly 
part  of  the  legs  are  plucked,  and  the  insect  is  ready  for  the 


344  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINA!!  AND  MECCAII. 

table.  Locusts  are  never  eaten  with  sweet  things,  which 
would  be  nauseous  ; the  dish  is  always  “ hot  ” with  salt  and 
pepper,  or  onions  fried  in  clarified  butter,  when  it  tastes 
nearly  as  well  as  a plate  of  stale  shrimps. 

The  favorite  food  on  journeys  is  meat  cut  into  strips 
and  sun-dried.  This,  with  a bag  of  milk-balls  and  a little 
coffee,  must  suffice  for  journey  or  campaign.  The  Bedouins 
know  neither  fermented  nor  distilled  liquors,  although  fie 
upon  thee,  drunkard ! is  a popular  phrase,  preserving  the 
memory  of  a better  state  of  things.  Some  clans,  though 
not  all,  smoke  tobacco.  It  is  generally  the  growth  of  the 
country  called  Hejazi  or  Kazimiyah ; a green  weed,  very 
strong,  with  a foul  smell,  and  costing  about  one  piastre  per 
pound. 

The  tribes  of  El  Hejaz  are  tediously  numerous.  The 
Beni  Harb,  however,  is  now  the  ruling  clan  in  the  Holy 
Land. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 


FROM  EL  SUWAYRKIYAH  TO  MEOCAH. 


We  have  now  left  the  territory  of  El  Medinah.  El  Su- 
wayrkiyah, which  belongs  to  the  Sherif  of  Meccah,  is  by 
dead  reckoning  about  ninety-nine  miles  along  the  road 
from  the  Prophet’s  burial-place.  The  town,  consisting  of 
about  100  houses,  is  built  at  the  base  and  on  the  sides  of  a 
basaltic  mass,  which  rises  abruptly  from  the  hard  clayey 
plain.  There  is  little  to  describe  in  the  narrow  streets  and 
the  mud  houses,  which  are  essentially  Arab.  The  fields 
around  are  divided  into  little  square  plots  by  earthen  ridges 
and  stone  walls ; some  of  the  palms  are  fine  grown  trees, 
and  the  wells  appeared  numerous.  The  water  is  near  the 
surface  and  plentiful,  but  it  has  a brackish  taste,  highly  dis- 
agreeable after  a few  days’  use,  and  the  effects  are  the  re- 
verse of  chalybeate. 

The  morning  after  our  arrival  at  El  Suwayrkiyah  wit- 
nessed a commotion  in  our  little  party : hitherto  they  had 
kept  together  in  fear  of  the  road.  Among  the  number  was 
one  Ali  bin  Ya  Sin,  a perfect  “ old  man  of  the  sea.”  By 
profession  he  was  a “ Zem  Zemi,”  or  dispenser  of  water 

15* 


346  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

from  the  Holy  W ell,*  and  he  had  a handsome  “ palazzo  ” 
at  the  foot  of  Abu  Kubays  in  Meccah,  which  he  periodically 
converted  into  a boarding  house.  Though  past  sixty,  very 
decrepit,  bent  by  age,  white-bearded,  and  toothless,  he  still 
acted  cicerone  to  pilgrims,  and  for  that  purpose  travelled 
once  every  year  to  El  Medinah.  These  trips  had  given 
him  the  cunning  of  a veteran  voyager.  He  lived  well  and 
cheaply;  his  home-made  shugduf,  the  model  of  comfort, 
was  garnished  with  soft  cushions  and  pillars,  whilst  from 
the  pockets  protruded  select  bottles  of  pickled  limes  and 
similar  luxuries ; he  had  his  travelling  shishah,f  and  at  the 
halting-place,  disdaining  the  crowded,  reeking  tent,  he  had 
a contrivance  for  converting  his  vehicle  into  a habitation. 
He  was  a type  of  the  Arab  old  man.  He  mumbled  all  day 
and  three-quarters  of  the  night,  for  he  had  des  insomnies. 
His  nerves  were  so  fine,  that  if  any  one  mounted  his  shug- 
duf, the  unfortunate  was  condemned  to  lie  like  a statue. 
Fidgety  and  priggishly  neat,  nothing  annoyed  him  so 
much  as  a moment’s  delay  or  an  article  out  of  place,  a rag 
removed  from  his  water-gugglet,  or  a cooking  pot  imper- 
fectly free  from  soot;  and  I judged  his  avarice  by  observing 
that  he  made  a point  of  picking  up  and  eating  the  grains 
scattered  from  our  pomegranates,  exclaiming  that  the 
heavenly  seed  (located  there  by  Arab  superstition)  might  be 
one  of  those  so  wantonly  wasted. 

* There  are  certain  officers  called  Zem  Zemi,  who  distribute  the 
holy  water.  In  the  case  of  a respectable  pilgrim  they  have  a large  jar 
marked  with  his  names  and  titles,  and  sent  every  morning  to  his  lodg- 
ings. If  he  be  generous,  one  or  more  will  be  placed  in  the  Haram,  that 
men  may  drink  in  his  honor.  The  Zem  Zemi  expects  a present  varying 
from  five  to  eleven  dollars. 

f The  shishah,  smoked  on  the  camel,  is  a tin  canister  divided  into 
two  compartments,  the  lower  half  for  the  water,  the  upper  one  for  the 
tobacco.  The  cover  is  pierced  with  holes  to  feed  the  fire,  and  a short 
hooka-snake  projects  from  one  side. 


A TYPE  OF  THE  ARAB  OLD  MAN. 


347 


Ali  bin  Ya  Sin,  returning  to  his  native  city,  had  not 
been  happy  in  his  choice  of  a companion  this  time.  The 
other  occupant  of  the  handsome  shugduf  was  an  ignoble- 
faced Egyptian  from  El  Medinah.  This  ill-suited  pair  clave 
together  for  awhile,  but  at  El  Suwayrkiyah  some  dispute 
about  a copper  coin  made  them  permanent  foes.  With 
threats  and  abuse  such  as  none  but  an  Egyptian  could 
tamely  hear,  Ali  kicked  his  quondam  friend  out  of  the 
vehicle.  But  terrified,  after  reflection,  by  the  possibility 
that  the  man  now  his  enemy  might  combine  with  two  or 
three  Syrians  of  our  party  to  do  him  a harm,  and  frightened 
by  a few  black  looks,  the  senior  determined  to  fortify  him- 
self by  a friend.  Connected  with  the  boy  Mohammed’s 
family,  he  easily  obtained  an  introduction  to  me ; he  kissed 
my  hand  with  great  servility,  declared  that  his  servant  had 
behaved  disgracefully,  and  begged  my  protection,  together 
with  the  occasional  attendance  of  my  “ slave.” 

This  was  readily  granted  in  pity  for  the  old  man,  who 
became  immensely  grateful.  He  offered  at  once  to  take 
Shaykh  Nur  into  his  shugduf.  The  Indian  boy  had  already 
reduced  to  ruins  the  frail  structure  of  his  shibriyah,  by 
lying  upon  it  lengthways,  whereas  prudent  travellers  sit  in 
it  cross-legged  and  facing  the  camel.  Moreover,  he  had 
been  laughed  to  scorn  by  the  Bedouins,  who,  seeing  him 
pull  up  his  dromedary  to  mount  and  dismount,  had 
questioned  his  sex,  and  determined  him  to  be  a woman 
of  the  “Miyan.”*  I could  not  rebuke  them;  the  poor 
fellow’s  timidity  was  a ridiculous  contrast  to  the  Bedouin’s 
style  of  mounting  ; a pull  at  the  camel’s  head,  the  left  foot 
placed  on  the  neck,  an  agile  spring,  and  a scramble  into  the 
saddle.  Shaykh  N ur,  elated  by  the  sight  of  old  Ali’s 

* The  Hindostani  word  for  “ sir.”  Bedouins  address  it  slightingly 
to  Indians. 


348  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

luxuries,  promised  himself  some  joyous  hours ; but  next 
morning  he  owned  with  a sigh  that  he  had  purchased 
splendor  at  the  extravagant  price  of  happiness — the 
senior’s  tongue  never  rested  throughout  the  livelong 
night. 

During  one  half-halt  at  El  Sawayrkiyah  we  determined 
to  have  a small  feast ; we  bought  some  fresh  dates,  and 
paid  a dollar  and  a half  for  a sheep.  Hungry  travellers 
consider  “ liver  and  fry”  a dish  to  set  before  a shaykh. 
On  this  occasion,  however,  our  enjoyment  was  marred  by 
the  water;  even  Soyer’s  dinners  would  scarcely  charm 
if  washed  down  with  cups  of  a certain  mineral-spring 
found  at  Epsom. 

We  started  at  10  a.  m.  in  a south-easterly  direction, 
and  travelled  over  a flat  thinly  dotted  with  desert  vegeta- 
tion. At  1 p.  m.  we  passed  a basaltic  ridge,  and  then, 
entering  a long  depressed  line  of  country,  a kind  of  valley, 
paced  down  it  five  tedious  hours.  The  simoom  as  usual 
was  blowing  hard,  and  it  seemed  to  affect  the  traveller’s 
temper.  In  one  place  I saw  a Turk  who  could  not  speak  a 
word  of  Arabic,  violently  disputing  with  an  Arab  who 
could  not  speak  a word  of  Turkish.  The  pilgrim  insisted 
upon  adding  to  the  camel’s  load  a few  dry  sticks,  such  as 
are  picked  up  for  cooking.  The  camel  man  as  perseveringly 
threw  off  the  extra  burden.  They  screamed  with  rage, 
hustled  each  other,  and  at  last  the  Turk  dealt  the  Arab 
a heavy  blow.  I afterwards  heard  that  the  pilgrim  was 
mortally  wounded  that  night,  his  stomach  being  ripped  open 
with  a dagger.  On  inquiring  what  had  become  of  him,  I 
was  assured  that  he  had  been  comfortably  wrapped  up  in 
his  shroud  and  placed  in  a half-dug  grave.  This  is  the 
general  practice  in  the  case  of  the  poor  and  solitary,  whom 
illness  or  accident  incapacitates  from  proceeding.  It  is 
impossible  to  contemplate  such  a fate  without  horror : the 


THE  BAGHDAD  CARAVAN. 


349 


torturing  thirst  of  a wound,*  the  burning  sun  heating  the 
brain  to  madness,  and — worst  of  all,  for  they  do  not  wait 
till  death — the  attacks  of  the  jackal,  the  vulture,  and  the 
raven  of  the  wild. 

At  8 p.m.  the  camels  began  to  stumble  over  the  dwarf 
dykes  of  the  wheat  and  barley  fields,  and  presently  we 
arrived  at  our  halting-place,  a large  village  called  El  Su- 
fayna.  The  plain  was  already  dotted  with  tents  and  lights. 
We  found  the  Baghdad  caravan,  whose  route  here  falls 
into  the  Darb  el  Sharki.  It  consists  of  a few  Persians  and 
Kurds,  and  collects  the  people  of  north-eastern  Arabia, 
Wahhabis,  and  others.  They  are  escorted  by  the  Agayl 
tribe  and  the  fierce  mountaineers  of  Jebel  Shamar.  Scarcely 
was  our  tent  pitched  when  the  distant  pattering  of  mus- 
ketry and  an  ominous  tapping  of  the  kettle-drum  sent  all 
my  companions  in  different  directions  to  inquire  what  was 
the  cause  of  quarrel.  The  Baghdad  Cafila,  though  not 
more  than  2000  in  number,  men,  women,  and  children,  had 
been  proving  to  the  Damascus  caravan,  that,  being  per- 
fectly ready  to  fight,  they  were  not  going  to  yield  any 
point  of  precedence.  From  that  time  the  two  bodies  en- 
camped in  different  places.  I never  saw  a more  pugnacious 
assembly  : a look  sufficed  for  a quarrel.  Once  a W ahhabi 
stood  in  front  of  us,  and  by  pointing  with  his  finger  and 
other  insulting  gestures,  showed  his  hatred  to  the  chi- 
bouque, in  which  I was  peaceably  indulging.  It  was  im- 
possible to  refrain  from  chastising  his  insolence  by  a polite 
and  smiling  offer  of  the  offending  pipe.  This  made  him 
draw  his  dagger  without  a thought ; but  it  was  sheathed 
again,  for  we  all  cocked  our  pistols,  and  these  gentry  prefer 
steel  to  lead.  Though  it  was  night  when  we  encamped, 

* When  Indians  would  say,  “ he  was  killed  upon  the  spot/’  they  use 
the  picturesque  phrase,  “ he  asked  not  for  water 


350  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINA!!  AND  MECCAH. 

Shaykh  Masud  set  out  to  water  his  moaning  camels : they 
had  not  quenched  their  thirst  for  three  days.  He  returned 
in  a depressed  state,  having  been  bled  by  the  soldiery  at 
the  well  to  the  extent  of  forty  piastres,  or  about  eight 
shillings. 

After  supper  we  spread  our  rugs  and  prepared  to  rest. 
And  here  I first  remarked  the  coolness  of  the  nights,  prov- 
ing at  this  season  of  the  year  a considerable  altitude  above 
the  sea.  As  a general  rule  the  atmosphere  stagnated  be- 
tween sunrise  and  10  a.m.,  when  a light  wind  rose.  Dur- 
ing the  forenoon  the  breeze  strengthened,  and  it  gradually 
diminished  through  the  afternoon.  Often  about  sunset 
there  was  a gale  accompanied  by  dry  storms  of  dust.  At 
El  Sufayna,  though  there  was  no  night-breeze  and  little 
dew,  a blanket  was  necessary,  and  the  hours  of  darkness 
were  invigorating  enough  to  mitigate  the  effect  of  the  sand 
and  simoom-ridden  day.  Before  sleeping  I was  introduced 
to  a namesake,  one  Shaykh  Abdullah  of  Meccah.  Having 
committed  his  shugduf  to  his  son,  a lad  of  fourteen,  he  had 
ridden  forward  on  a dromedary,  and  had  suddenly  fallen 
ill.  His  objects  in  meeting  me  were  to  ask  for  some  medi- 
cine, and  a temporary  seat  in  my  shugduf ; the  latter  I 
offered  with  pleasure,  as  the  boy  Mohammed  was  longing 
to  mount  a camel.  The  shaykh’s  illness  was  nothing  but 
weakness  brought  on  by  the  hardships  of  the  journey : he 
attributed  it  to  the  hot  wind,  and  the  weight  of  a bag  of 
dollars,  which  he  had  attached  to  his  waist-belt.  He  was  a 
man  about  forty,  long,  thin,  pale,  and  of  a purely  nervous 
temperament : and  a few  questions  elicited  the  fact,  that 
he  had  lately  and  suddenly  given  up  his  daily  opium  pill. 
I prepared  one  for  him,  placed  him  in  my  litter,  and  per- 
suaded him  to  stow  away  his  burden  in  some  place  where 
it  would  be  less  troublesome.  He  was  my  companion  for 
two  marches,  at  the  end  of  which  he  found  his  own  shug- 


DESCRIPTION  OF  A DESERT. 


351 


duf,  and  I never  met  amongst  the  Arab  citizens  a better 
bred  or  better  informed  man.  At  Constantinople  he  had 
learned  a little  French,  Italian,  and  Greek ; and  from  the 
properties  of  a shrub  to  the  varieties  of  honey,*  he  was  full 
of  “useful  knowledge,”  and  open  as  a dictionary.  We 
parted  near  Meccah,  where  I met  him  only  once,  and  then 
accidentally,  in  the  Valley  of  Muna. 

At  half-past  5 a.  m.,  on  the  5th  of  September,  we  arose 
refreshed  by  the  cool,  comfortable  night,  and  loaded  the 
camels. 

We  travelled  towards  the  south-east,  and  entered  a 
country  destitute  of  the  low  ranges  of  hill,  which  from  El 
Medinah  southwards  had  bounded  the  horizon.  After  two 
miles’  march,  our  camels  climbed  up  a precipitous  ridge, 
and  then  descended  into  a broad  gravel  plain.  From  10  to 
11  a.  m.  our  course  was  southerly,  over  a high  table-land, 
and  we  afterwards  traversed  for  five  hours  and  a half  a 
plain  which  bore  signs  of  standing  water.  This  day’s 
march  was  peculiarly  Arabian.  It  was  a desert  peopled  only 
with  echoes, — a place  of  death  for  what  little  there  is  to  die 
in  it, — a wilderness,  where,  to  use  my  companion’s  phrase, 
there  is  nothing  but  He.  f Nature,  scalped,  flayed,  disco- 
vered her  anatomy  to  the  gazer’s  eye.  The  horizon  was  a 
sea  of  mirage ; gigantic  sand  columns  whirled  over  the  plain  ; 
and  on  both  sides  of  our  road  were  huge  piles  of  bare  rock, 
standing  detached  upon  the  surface  of  sand  and  clay.  Here 
they  appeared  in  oval  lumps,  heaped  up  with  a semblance 

* The  Arabs  are  curious  in  and  fond  of  honey : Meccah  alone  affords 
eight  or  nine  different  varieties.  The  best,  and  in  Arab  parlance  the 
“ coldest,”  is  the  green  kind,  produced  by  bees  that  feed  upon  a thorny 
plant  called  “sihhah.”  The  white  and  red  honeys  rank  next.  The 
woret  is  the  Asal  Asmar  (brown  honey),  which  sells  for  something  un- 
der a piastre  per  pound. 

f “La  Siwa  Hu,”  i.  e.  where  there  is  none  but  Allah. 


352  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

of  symmetry  ; there  a single  boulder  stood,  with  its  narrow 
foundation  based  upon  a pedestal  of  low,  dome-shaped  rock. 
All  are  of  a pink  coarse-grained  granite,  which  flakes  off  in 
large  crusts  under  the  influence  of  the  atmosphere.  I re- 
marked one  block  which  could  not  measure  less  than  thirty 
feet  in  height.  Through  these  scenes  we  travelled  till  about 
half-past  4 p.  h.,  when  the  guns  suddenly  roared  a halt. 
There  was  not  a trace  of  human  habitation  around  us  : a few 
parched  shrubs  and  the  granite  heaps  were  the  only  objects 
diversifying  the  hard  clayey  plain.  Shaykh  Masud  correct- 
ly guessed  the  cause  of  our  detention  at  the  inhospitable 
“ halting  place  of  the  Mutayr”  (Bedouins).  “Cook  your 
bread  and  boil  your  coffee,”  said  the  old  man,  “ the  camels 
will  rest  for  awhile  and  the  gun  sound  at  nightfall.” 

At  half-past  ten  that  evening  we  heard  the  signal  for 
departure,  and  as  the  moon  was  still  young  we  prepared 
for  a hard  night’s  work.  We  took  a south-westerly  course 
through  what  is  called  a Waar — rough  ground  covered 
with  thicket.  Darkness  fell  upon  us  like  a pall.  The 
camels  tripped  and  stumbled,  tossing  their  litters  like  cock- 
boats in  a short  sea ; at  times  the  shugdufs  were  well  nigh 
torn  off  their  backs.  When  we  came  to  a ridge  worse  than 
usual,  old  Masud  would  seize  my  camel’s  halter,  and,  ac- 
companied by  his  son  and  nephew  bearing  lights,  encou- 
rage the  animals  with  gesture  and  voice.  It  was  a strange, 
wild  scene.  The  black  basaltic  field  was  dotted  with  the 
huge  and  doubtful  forms  of  spongy-footed  camels  with 
silent  tread,  looming  like  phantoms  in  the  midnight  air ; 
the  hot  wind  moaned,  and  whirled  from  the  torches  sheets 
of  flame  and  fiery  smoke,  whilst  ever  and  anon  a swift  tra- 
velling Takhtrawan,  drawn  by  mules,  and  surrounded  by 
runners  bearing  gigantic  mashals,*  threw  a passing  glow  of 

* This  article,  an  iron  cylinder  with  bands,  mounted  on  a long  pole, 
corresponds  with  the  European  cresset  of  the  fifteenth  century. 


THE  EASTERN  AND  WESTERN  MAN. 


353 


red  light  upon  the  dark  road  and  the  dusky  multitude 
On  this  occasion  the  rule  was  “ every  man  for  himself.” 
Each  pressed  forward  into  the  best  path,  thinking  only  of 
preceding  others.  The  Syrians,  amongst  whom  our  little 
party  had  become  entangled,  proved  most  unpleasant  com- 
panions ; they  often  stopped  the  way,  insisting  upon  their 
right  to  precedence.  On  one  occasion  a horseman  had  the 
audacity  to  untie  the  halter  of  my  dromedary,  and  thus  to 
cast  us  adrift,  as  it  were  to  make  room  for  some  secluded 
friend.  I seized  my  sword ; but  Shaykh  Abdullah  stayed 
my  hand,  and  addressed  the  intruder  in  terms  sufficiently 
violent  to  make  him  slink  away.  Nor  was  this  the  only 
occasion  on  which  my  companion  was  successful  with  the 
Syrians.  He  would  begin  with  a mild  “ Move  a little,  O 
my  father  ! ” followed,  if  fruitless,  by  “ Out  of  the  way,  O 
father  of  Syria!*”  and  if  still  ineffectual,  concluding  with  a 
“ Begone,  O he  ! ” This  ranged  between  civility  and  stern- 
ness. If  without  effect,  it  was  followed  by  revilings  to  the 
“Abusers  of  the  Salt,”  the  “Yezid,”  the  “offspring  of 
Shimr.”  Another  remark  which  I made  about  my  compa- 
nion’s conduct  well  illustrates  the  difference  between  the 
Eastern  and  Western  man.  When  traversing  a dangerous 
place,  Shaykh  Abdullah  the  European  attended  to  his  camel 
with  loud  cries  of  “ Hai ! Hai ! ” f and  an  occasional  switch- 
ing. Shaykh  Abdullah  the  Asiatic  commended  himself  to 
Allah  by  repeated  ejaculations  of  “ Ya  Satir  ! Ya  Sattar  !” 
The  morning  of  Wednesday  (Sept.  6th)  broke  as  we  en- 
tered a wide  plain.  In  many  places  were  signs  of  water  ; 
lines  of  basalt  here  and  there  seamed  the  surface,  and  wide 
sheets  of  the  tufaceous  gypsum  called  by  the  Arabs  “ sab- 

* “ Abu  Sham,”  a familiar  address  in  El  Hejaz  to  Syrians. 

\ There  is  a regular  language  to  camels.  “ Ikh ! ikh !”  makes  them 
kneel;  “Yakh  Yakh!”  urges  them  on;  “Hai!  Hai!”  induces  caution; 
and  so  on. 


354  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

khah  ” shone  like  mirrors  set  in  russet  frame- work  of  the  flat. 
This  substance  is  found  in  cakes,  often  a foot  long  by  an 
inch  in  depth,  curled  by  the  sun’s  rays  and  overlying  clay 
into  which  water  had  sunk.  After  our  harassing  night,  day 
came  on  with  a sad  feeling  of  oppression,  greatly  increased 
by  the  unnatural  glare. 

At  10  a.  m.  we  pitched  the  tent  in  the  first  convenient 
spot,  and  lost  no  time  in  stretching  our  cramped  limbs  upon 
the  bosom  of  mother  Earth. 

In  our  anxiety  to  rest  we  had  strayed  from  the  Damas- 
cus caravan  into  the  mountaineers  of  Shamar.  Our  Shaykh 
Masud  manifestly  did  not  like  the  company ; for  shortly 
after  3 p.m.  he  insisted  upon  our  striking  the  tent  and 
rejoining  the  Hajj,  which  lay  encamped  about  two  miles 
distant  in  the  western  part  of  the  basin.  We  loaded, 
therefore,  and  half  an  hour  before  sunset  found  ourselves 
in  more  congenial  society.  To  my  great  disappointment  a 
stir  was  observable  in  the  caravan.  I at  once  understood 
that  another  night-march  was  in  store  for  us. 

At  6 p.m.  we  again  mounted  and  turned  towards  the 
eastern  jjlain.  A heavy  shower  was  falling  upon  the  western 
hills,  whence  came  damp  and  dangerous  blasts.  Between 
9 p.m.  and  the  dawn  of  the  next  day  we  had  a repetition  of 
the  last  night’s  scenes,  over  a road  so  rugged  and  danger- 
ous, that  I wondered  how  men  could  prefer  to  travel  in  the 
darkness.  But  the  camels  of  Damascus  were  now  worn  out 
with  fatigue  ; they  could  not  endure  the  sun,  and  our  time 
was  too  precious  for  a halt.  My  night  was  spent  perched 
upon  the  front  bar  of  my  shugduf,  encouraging  the  drome- 
dary, and  that  we  had  not  one  fall  excited  my  extreme 
astonishment.  At  5 a.m.  we  entered  a wide  plain  thickly 
clothed  with  the  usual  thorny  trees,  in  whose  strong  grasp 
many  a shugduf  lost  its  covering,  and  not  a few  were 
dragged  with  their  screaming  inmates  to  the  ground. 


A PRECIOUS  CLAN  OF  BEDOUINS. 


355 


About  five  hours  afterwards  we  crossed  a high  ridge,  and 
saw  below  us  the  camp  of  the  caravan  not  more  than  two 
miles  distant. 

At  1 1 a.m.  we  had  reached  our  station.  It  is  called  El 
Birkat  (the  Tank),  from  a large  and  now  ruinous  cistern 
built  of  hewn  stone  by  the  Caliph  Harun.  The  land 
belongs  to  the  Utaybah  Bedouins,  the  bravest  and  most 
ferocious  clan  in  El  Hejaz;  and  the  citizens  denote  their 
dread  of  these  banditti  by  asserting,  that  to  increase  their 
courage  they  drink  their  enemy’s  blood.*  My  companions 
shook  their  heads  when  questioned  upon  the  subject,  and 
prayed  that  we  might  not  become  too  well  acquainted  with 
them — an  ill-omened  speech. 

As  we  were  now  near  the  Holy  City,  all  the  Meccans 
were  busy  canvassing  for  lodgers  and  offering  their  services 
to  pilgrims.  Quarrels,  too,  were  of  hourly  occurrence.  In 
our  party  was  an  Arnaut,  a white-bearded  old  man,  so 
decrepit  that  he  could  scarcely  stand,  and  yet  so  violent 
that  no  one  could  manage  him  but  his  African  slave,  a 
brazen-faced  little  wretch  about  fourteen  years  of  age. 
Words  were  bandied  between  this  angry  senior  and  Shaykh 
Masud,  when  the  latter  insinuated,  sarcastically,  that  if  the 
former  had  teeth  he  would  be  more  intelligible.  The 
Arnaut  in  his  rage  seized  a pole,  raised  it,  and  delivered  a 
blow  which  missed  the  camel  man,  but  brought  the  striker 
headlong  to  the  ground.  Masud  exclaimed,  with  shrieks 
of  rage,  “ Have  we  come  to  this,  that  every  old  dastard 
Turk  smites  us  ?”  Our  party  had  the  greatest  trouble  to 
quiet  the  quarrellers.  The  Arab  listened  to  us  when  we 
threatened  him  with  the  Pacha.  But  the  Arnaut,  whose 

* Some  believe  this  literally,  others  consider  it  a phrase  expressive 
of  blood-thirstiness.  It  is  the  only  suspicion  of  cannibalism,  if  I may 
use  the  word,  now  attaching  to  El  Hejaz. 


356  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

rage  was  44  like  red-hot  steel,”  would  hear  nothing  but  our 
repeated  declarations,  that  unless  he  behaved  more  like  a pil- 
grim, we  should  be  compelled  to  leave  him  and  his  slave 
behind. 

On  the  7th  September,  at  4 p.m.,  we  left  El  Birkat,  and 
travelled  eastwards  over  rolling  ground  thickly  wooded. 
About  2 a.m.  we  began  ascending  hills  in  a south-westerly 
direction,  and  presently  fell  into  the  bed  of  a large  rock- 
girt  fiumara,  which  runs  from  east  to  west.  The  sands 
were  overgrown  with  saline  and  salsolaceous  plants.  At  6 
a.m.  we  left  the  fiumara,  and,  turning  to  the  west,  arrived 
about  an  hour  afterwards  at  the  station.  El  Zaribah, 
44  the  valley,”  is  an  undulating  plain  amongst  high  granite 
hills.  In  many  parts  it  was  faintly  green;  water  was 
close  to  the  surface,  and  rain  stood  upon  the  ground. 
During  the  night  we  had  travelled  about  twenty-three 
miles 

Having  pitched  the  tent,  and  eaten  and  slept,  we  pre- 
pared to  perform  the  ceremony  of  El  Ihram  (assuming  the 
pilgrim-garb),  as  El  Zaribah  is  the  mikat,  or  the  appointed 
place.*  Between  the  noonday  and  the  afternoon  prayers 
a barber  attended  to  shave  our  heads,  cut  our  nails,  and 
trim  our  mustachios.  Then,  having  bathed  and  perfum- 
ed ourselves — the  latter  is  a questionable  point — we  don- 
ned the  attire,  which  is  nothing  but  two  new  cotton 
cloths,  each  six  feet  long  by  three  and  a half  broad, 
white,  with  narrow  red  stripes  and  fringes ; in  fact,  the 
costume  called  44  El  Eddeh”  in  the  baths  at  Cairo.f  Our 

* “ El  Ihram”  literally  meaning  “ prohibition”  or  “ making  unlaw- 
ful,” equivalent  to  our  “ mortification,”  is  applied  to  the  ceremony  of 
the  toilette,  and  also  to  the  dress  itself. 

f These  sheets  are  not  positively  necessary ; any  clean  cotton  cloth 
not  sewn  in  any  part  will  serve  equally  well.  Servants  and  attendants 
expect  the  master  to  present  them  with  an  “ ihram.” 


HOW  TO  BE  A GOOD  PILGRIM. 


357 


heads  were  bare,  and  nothing  was  allowed  upon  the 
instep.* 

After  the  toilet  we  were  placed  with  our  faces  in  the 
direction  of  Meccah,  and  ordered  to  say  aloud,  “ I vow  this 
ihram  of  hajj  (the  pilgrimage)  and  the  umrah  (the  little 
pilgrimage)  to  Allah  Almighty  !”  Having  thus  performed 
a two-prostration  prayer,  we  repeated,  without  rising  from 
the  sitting  position,  these  words,  “ O Allah ! verily  I pur- 
pose the  hajj  and  the  umrah,  then  enable  me  to  accom- 
plish the  two,  and  accept  them  both  of  me,  and  make 
both  blessed  to  me !”  When  these  ceremonies  had  been 
duly  performed,  our  friend  Shaykh  Abdullah,  who  acted 
as  director  of  our  consciences,  bade  us  be  good  pil- 
grims, avoiding  quarrels,  bad  language,  immorality,  and 
light  conversation.  We  must  so  reverence  life  that  we 
should  avoid  killing  game,  causing  an  animal  to  fly,  and 
even  pointing  it  out  for  destruction ; f nor  should  we 
scratch  ourselves,  save  with  the  open  palm,  lest  vermin  be 
destroyed,  or  a hair  uprooted  by  the  nail.  We  were  to 
respect  the  sanctuary  by  sparing  the  trees,  and  not  to 
pluck  a single  blade  of  grass.  As  regards  personal  con- 
siderations, we  were  to  abstain  from  all  oils,  perfumes,  and 
unguents  ; from  washing  the  head  with  mallow  or  lote 
leaves ; from  dyeing,  shaving,  cutting,  or  vellieating  a sin- 
gle pile  or  hair ; and  though  we  might  take  advantage  of 
shade,  and  even  form  it  with  upraised  hands,  we  must 
by  no  means  cover  our  sconces.  For  each  infraction  of 


* Sandals  are  made  at  Meccah  expressly  for  the  pilgrimage : the 
poorer  classes  cut  off  the  upper  leathers  of  an  old  pair  of  shoes. 

f The  object  of  these  ordinances  is  clearly  to  inculcate  the  strictest 
observance  of  the  “ truce  of  God.”  Pilgrims,  however,  are  allowed  to 
slay,  if  necessary,  “the  five  noxious,”  viz.,  a crow,  a kite,  a scorpion,  a 
rat,  and  a biting  dog. 


358  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

these  ordinances  we  must  sacrifice  a sheep ; * and  it  is 
commonly  said  by  Moslems,  that  none  but  the  Prophet 
could  be  perfect  in  the  intricacies  of  pilgrimage. 

The  wife  and  daughters  of  a Turkish  pilgrim  of  our 
party  assumed  the  ihram  at  the  same  time  as  ourselves. 
They  appeared  dressed  in  white  garments ; and  they  had 
exchanged  the  lisam,  that  coquettish  fold  of  muslin  which 
veils  without  concealing  the  lower  part  of  the  face,  for  a 
hideous  mask,  made  of  split,  dried,  and  plaited  palm  leaves, 
with  two  “ bull’s-eyes,”  for  light.f  I could  not  help  laugh- 
ing when  these  strange  figures  met  my  sight,  and,  to  judge 
from  the  shaking  of  their  shoulders,  they  were  not  less  sus- 
ceptible to  the  merriment  which  they  had  caused. 

At  3 p.  m.  we  left  El  Zaribah,  travelling  towards  the 
S.  W.,  and  a wondrously  picturesque  scene  met  the  eye. 
Crowds  hurried  along,  habited  in  the  pilgrim  garb,  whose 
whiteness  contrasted  strangely  with  their  black  skins,  their 
newly  shaven  heads  glistening  in  the  sun,  and  long  black 
hair  streaming  in  the  wind.  The  rocks  rang  with  shouts  of 
“ Labbayk ! Labbayk ! ” At  a pass  we  fell  in  with  the 
Wahhabis,  accompanying  the  Baghdad  caravan,  screaming 
“ here  am  I;”  and,  guided  by  a large,  loud  kettle-drum, 
they  followed  in  double  file  the  camel  of  a standard-bearer, 
whose  green  flag  bore  in  huge  white  letters  the  formula  of 
the  Moslem  creed.  They  were  wild-looking  mountaineers, 
dark  and  fierce,  with  hair  twisted  into  thin  dalik  or  plaits : 
each  was  armed  with  a long  spear,  a matchlock,  or  a dag- 
ger. They  were  seated  upon  coarse  wooden  saddles,  with- 
out cushions  or  stirrups,  a fine  saddle-cloth  alone  denoting 

* The  victim  is  sacrificed  as  a confession  that  the  offender  deems 
himself  worthy  of  death ; the  offerer  is  not  allowed  to  taste  any  por- 
tion of  his  offering. 

f The  reason  why  this  “ ugly”  must  be  worn,  is,  that  a woman’s 
veil  during  the  pilgrimage  ceremonies  is  not  allowed  to  touch  her  face. 


A SUSPICIOUS  DEFILE. 


359 


a chief.  The  women  emulated  the  men ; they  either  guided 
their  own  dromedaries,  or,  sitting  in  pillion,  they  clung  to 
their  husbands  ; veils  they  disdained,  and  their  counte- 
nances certainly  belonged  not  to  a “ soft  sex.”  These 
Wahhabis  were  by  no  means  pleasant  companions.  Most 
of  them  were  followed  by  spare  dromedaries,  either  un- 
laden or  carrying  water-skins,  fodder,  fuel,  and  other 
necessaries  for  the  march.  The  beasts  delighted  in  dash- 
ing furiously  through  one  file,  which  being  colligated,  was 
thrown  each  time  into  the  greatest  confusion.  And  when- 
ever we  were  observed  smoking,  we  were  cursed  aloud 
for  infidels  and  idolaters. 

At  about  half-past  5 p.  m.  we  entered  a suspicious-look- 
ing place.  On  the  right  was  a stony  buttress,  along  whose 
base  the  stream,  when  there  is  one,  flows ; and  to  this 
depression  was  our  road  limited  by  the  rocks  and  thorn 
trees,  which  filled  the  other  half  of  the  channel.  The  left 
side  was  a precipice,  grim  and  barren,  but  not  so  abrupt  as 
its  brother.  Opposite  us  the  way  seemed  barred  by  piles 
of  hills,  crest  rising  above  crest  into  the  far  blue  distance. 
Day  still  smiled  upon  the  upper  peaks,  but  the  lower  slopes 
and  the  fiumara  bed  were  already  curtained  with  grey 
sombre  shade. 

A damp  seemed  to  fall  upon  our  spirits  as  we  ap- 
proached this  Yalley  Perilous.  I remarked  with  wonder 
that  the  voices  of  the  women  and  children  sank  into  silence, 
and  the  loud  Labbaykas  of  the  pilgrims  were  gradually 
stilled.  Whilst  still  speculating  upon  the  cause  of  this  phe- 
nomenon it  became  apparent.  A small  curl  of  smoke,  like 
a lady’s  ringlet,  on  the  summit  of  the  right-hand  precipice 
caught  my  eye,  and  simultaneous  with  the  echoing  crack 
of  the  matchlock  a high-trotting  dromedary  in  front  of  me 
rolled  over  the  sands — a bullet  had  split  his  heart — throw- 
ing his  rider  a goodly  somerset  of  five  or  six  yards. 


360  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAII  AND  MECCAH. 

Ensued  terrible  confusion;  women  screamed,  children 
shrieked,  and  men  vociferated,  each  one  striving  with  might 
and  main  to  urge  his  animal  out  of  the  place  of  death.  But 
the  road  being  narrow,  they  only  managed  to  jam  the 
vehicles  in  a solid  immovable  mass.  At  every  matchlock 
shot  a shudder  ran  through  the  huge  body,  as  when  the 
surgeon’s  scalpel  touches  some  more  sensitive  nerve.  The 
irregular  horsemen,  perfectly  useless,  galloped  up  and  down 
over  the  stones,  shouting  to  and  ordering  one  another. 
The  Pacha  of  the  army  had  his  carpet  spread  at  the  foot  of 
the  left-hand  precipice,  and  debated  over  his  pipe  with  the 
officers  what  ought  to  be  done.  No  good  genius  whis- 
pered “ crown  the  heights.” 

Then  it  was  that  the  conduct  of  the  Wahhabis  found 
favor  in  my  eyes.  They  came  up,  galloping  their  camels, 
with  their  elf-locks  tossing  in  the  wind,  and  their  flaring 
matches  casting  a strange  lurid  light  over  their  features. 
Taking  up  a position,  one  body  began  to  fire  upon  the 
Utaybah  robbers,  whilst  two  or  three  hundred,  dismount- 
ing, swarmed  up  the  hill  under  the  guidance  of  the  Sherif 
Zayd.  I had  remarked  this  nobleman  at  El  Medinah  as  a 
model  specimen  of  the  pure  Arab.  Like  all  Sherifs,  he  is 
celebrated  for  bravery,  and  has  killed  many  with  his  own 
hand.  When  urged  at  El  Zaribah  to  ride  into  Meccah,  he 
swore  that  he  would  not  leave  the  caravan  till  in  sight 
of  the  walls  ; and,  fortunately  for  the  pilgrims,  he  kept  his 
word.  Presently  the  firing  was  heard  far  in  our  rear — the 
robbers  having  fled ; the  head  of  the  column  advanced,  and 
the  dense  body  of  pilgrims  opened  out.  Our  forced  halt 
was  now  exchanged  for  a flight.  It  required  much  man- 
agement to  steer  our  desert-craft  clear  of  danger ; but 
Shaykh  Masud  was  equal  to  the  occasion.  That  many  were 
lost  was  evident  by  the  boxes  and  baggage  that  strewed 
the  shingles.  I had  no  means  of  ascertaining  the  number 


A LITTLE  BRAVADO. 


361 


of  men  killed  and  wounded:  reports  were  contradictory, 
and  exaggeration  unanimous.  The  robbers  were  said  to  be 
150  in  number:  their  object  was  plunder,  and  they  would 
eat  the  shot  camels.  But  their  principal  ambition  was  the 
boast,  u We,  the  Utaybah,  on  such  and  such  a night  stopped 
the  Sultan’s  mahmal  one  whole  hour  in  the  pass.” 

As  we  advanced  our  escort  took  care  to  fire  every  large 
dry  asclepias,  to  disperse  the  shades  which  buried  us.  Again 
the  scene  became  wondrous  wild. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  skirmish  I had  primed  my  pis- 
tols, and  sat  with  them  ready  for  use.  But  soon  seeing  that 
there  was  nothing  to  be  done,  and,  wishing  to  make  an  im- 
pression,— nowhere  does  Bobadil  now  “go  down”  but  in 
the  East, — I called  aloud  for  my  supper.  Shaykh  Nur, 
exanimate  with  fear,  could  not  move.  The  boy  Moham- 
med ejaculated  only  an  “ Oh,  sir!”  and  the  people  around 
exclaimed  in  disgust,  uBy  Allah!  he  eats!”  Shaykh  Ab- 
dullah, the  Meccan,  being  a man  of  spirit,  was  amused  by 
the  spectacle.  “Are  these  Afghan  manners,  Effendim?” 
he  inquired  from  the  shugduf  behind  me.  “ Yes,”  I replied 
aloud,  “ in  my  country  we  always  dine  before  an  attack  of 
robbers,  because  that  gentry  is  in  the  habit  of  sending  men 
to  bed  supperless.”  The  Shaykh  laughed  aloud,  but  those 
around  him  looked  offended.  I thought  the  bravado  this 
time  mol  place / but  a little  event  which  took  place  on  my 
way  to  Jeddah  proved  that  it  was  not  quite  a failure. 

On  either  side  were  ribbed  precipices,  dark,  angry,  and 
towering  above,  till  their  summits  mingled  with  the  glooms 
of  night ; and  between  them  formidable  looked  the  chasm, 
down  which  our  host  hurried  with  shouts  and  discharges 
of  matchlocks.  The  torch-smoke  and  the  night-fires  of 
flaming  asclepias  formed  a canopy,  sable  above  and  livid 
red  below,  which  hung  over  our  heads  like  a sheet,  and 
divided  the  cliffs  into  two  equal  parts.  Here  the  fire 

16 


362  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINA!!  AND  MECCAH. 

flashed  fiercely  from  a tall  thorn,  that  crackled  and  shot  up 
showers  of  sparks  into  the  air ; there  it  died  away  in  lurid 
gleams,  which  lit  up  a truly  Stygian  scnee.  As  usual,  how- 
ever, the  picturesque  had  its  inconveniences.  There  was 
no  path.  Rocks,  stone-banks,  and  trees  obstructed  our 
passage.  The  camels,  now  blind  in  darkness,  then  dazzled 
by  a flood  of  light,  stumbled  frequently ; in  some  places 
slipping  down  a steep  descent,  in  others  sliding  over  a sheet 
of  mud.  There  were  furious  quarrels  and  fierce  language 
between  camel-men  and  their  hirers,  and  threats  to  fellow- 
travellers;  in  fact,  we  were  united  in  discord.  I passed 
that  night  crying,  “ Hai  Hai ! ” switching  the  camel,  and 
fruitlessly  endeavoring  to  fustigate  Masud’s  nephew,  who 
resolutely  slept  on  the  water-bags.  During  the  hours 
of  darkness  we  made  four  or  five  halts,  when  we  boiled 
coffee  and  smoked  pipes,  but  men  and  beasts  were  begin- 
ning to  suffer  from  a deadly  fatigue. 

Dawn  found  us  still  travelling  down  the  fiumara,  which 
here  is  about  100  yards  broad. 

We  then  turned  northward,  and  sighted  El  Mazik,  more 
generally  known  as  Wady  Laymun,  the  Valley  of  Limes. 
On  the  right  bank  of  the  fiumara  stood  the  Meccan  Sherif’s 
state  pavilion,  green  and  gold : it  was  surrounded  by  his 
attendants,  and  prepared  to  receive  the  Pacha  of  the  cara- 
van. We  advanced  half  a mile,  and  encamped  temporarily 
in  a hill-girt  bulge  of  the  fiumara  bed. 

Shaykh  Masud  allowed  us  only  four  hours’  halt ; he 
wished  to  precede  the  main  body.  After  breaking  our  fast 
joyously  upon  limes,  pomegranates,  and  fresh  dates,  we 
sallied  forth  to  admire  the  beauties  of  the  place.  We  are 
once  more  on  classic  ground,  and  this  wady,  celebrated  for 
the  purity  of  its  air,  has  from  remote  ages  been  a favorite 
resort  of  the  Meccans. 

Exactly  at  noon  Masud  seized  the  halter  of  the  foremost 


AN  ACCIDENT  ON  CAMEL-BACK. 


363 


camel,  and  we  started  down  the  fiumara.  Troops  of  Be- 
douin girls  looked  over  the  orchard  walls  laughingly,  and 
children  came  out  to  offer  us  fresh  fruit  and  sweet  water. 
In  some  places  were  clumps  of  trees,  and  scattered  villages 
warned  us  that  we  were  approaching  a city.  Far  to  the 
left  rose  the  blue  peaks  of  Taif,  and  the  mountain  road,  a 
white  thread  upon  the  nearer  heights,  was  pointed  out  to 
me.  Here  I first  saw  the  tree,  or  rather  shrub,  which 
bears  the  balm  of  Gilead,  erst  so  celebrated  for  its  tonic 
and  stomachic  properties.  I told  Shaykh  Masud  to  break 
off  a twig,  which  he  did  heedlessly.  The  act  was  witnessed 
by  our  party  with  a roar  of  laughter,  and  the  astounded 
shaykh  was  warned  that  he  had  become  subject  to  an 
atoning  sacrifice.*  Of  course  he  denounced  me  as  the 
instigator,  and  I could  not  fairly  refuse  assistance.  The 
tree  has  of  late  years  been  carefully  described  by  many 
botanists ; I will  only  say  that  the  bark  resembled  in  color 
a cherry-stick  pipe,  the  inside  was  a light  yellow,  and  the 
juice  made  my  fingers  stick  together. 

As  we  jogged  on  we  were  passed  by  the  cavalcade  of 
no  less  a personage  than  the  Sherif  of  Meccah.  Abd  el 
Muttalib  bin  Ghalib  is  a dark,  beardless  old  man,  with 
African  features,  derived  from  his  mother.  He  was  plainly 
dressed  in  white  garments  and  a white  muslin  turban, 
which  made  him  look  jet  black ; he  rode  an  ambling  mule, 
and  the  only  emblem  of  his  dignity  was  the  large  green 
satin  umbrella  borne  by  an  attendant  on  foot.f  Scattered 

* This  being  one  of  the  “ Muharrimat,”  or  actions  forbidden  to  a 
pilgrim  At  all  times,  say  the  Moslems,  there  are  three  vile  trades,  viz., 
those  of  the  Harak  el  Hajar  (stone-burner),  the  Kati  el  Shajar  (tree-cut- 
ter), and  the  Bayi  el  Bashar  (man-seller). 

f From  India  to  Abyssinia  the  umbrella  is  the  sign  of  royalty : the 
Arabs  of  Meccah  and  Sennaa  probably  derived  the  custom  from  the 
Hindus. 


364  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

around  him  were  about  forty  matchlock-men,  mostly 
slaves. 

We  halted  as  evening  approached,  and  strained  our 
eyes,  but  all  in  vain,  to  catch  sight  of  Meccah,  which  lies 
in  a winding  valley.  By  Shaykh  Abdullah’s  direction  I 
recited,  after  the  usual  devotions,  the  following  prayer. 
The  reader  is  forewarned  that  it  is  difficult  to  preserve  the 
flowers  of  Oriental  rhetoric  in  a European  tongue. 

“ O Allah  ! verily  this  is  thy  safeguard  (Amn)  and  thy 
Sanctuary  (Haram)  ! Into  it  whoso  entereth  becometh 
safe  (Amin).  So  deny  (Harrim)  my  flesh  and  blood,  my 
bones  and  skin,  to  hell-fire.  O Allah ! save  me  from  thy 
wrath  on  the  day  when  thy  servants  shall  be  raised  from 
the  dead.  I conjure  thee  by  this  that  thou  art  Allah, 
besides  whom  is  none  (thou  only),  the  merciful,  the  com- 
passionate. And  have  mercy  upon  our  lord  Moham- 
med, and  upon  the  progeny  of  our  lord  Mohammed, 
and  upon  his  followers,  one  and  all!”  This  was  con- 
cluded with  the  “ Talbiyat,”  and  with  an  especial  prayer 
for  myself. 

We  again  mounted,  and  night  completed  our  disap- 
pointment. About  1 a.m.  I was  aroused  by  general  excite- 
ment. “ Meccah ! Meccah !”  cried  some  voices  ; “ The 
Sanctuary ! O the  Sanctuary !”  exclaimed  others ; and  all 
burst  into  loud  “ Labbayk,”  not  unfrequently  broken  by 
sobs.  I looked  out  from  my  litter,  and  saw  by  the  light  of 
the  southern  stars  the  dim  outlines  of  a large  city,  a shade 
darker  than  the  surrounding  plain.  We  were  passing  over 
the  last  ridge  by  a “ winding  path”  flanked  on  both  sides 
by  watch-towers,  which  command  the  “ Darb  el  Maala,”  or 
road  leading  from  the  north  into  Meccah.  Thence  we 
passed  into  the  Maabidah  (northern  suburb),  where  the 
Sherif’s  palace  is  built.  After  this,  on  the  left  hand,  came 
the  deserted  abode  of  the  Sherif  bin  Aun,  now  said  to  be  a 


ARRIVAL  AT  MECCAH. 


365 


“ haunted  house.”*  Opposite  to  it  lies  the  Jannat  el  Maala, 
the  holy  cemetery  of  Meccah.  Thence,  turning  to  the 
right,  we  entered  the  Sulaymaniyah  or  Afghan  quarter. 
Here  the  boy  Mohammed,  being  an  inhabitant  of  the  Sha- 
miyah  or  Syrian  ward,  thought  proper  to  display  some  ap- 
prehension. These  two  are  on  bad  terms ; children  never 
meet  without  exchanging  volleys  of  stones,  and  men  fight 
furiously  with  quarter-staves.  Sometimes,  despite  the  ter- 
rors of  religion,  the  knife  and  sabre  are  drawn.  But  these 
hostilities  have  their  code.  If  a citizen  be  killed,  there  is  a 
subscription  for  blood-money.  An  inhabitant  of  one  quar- 
ter, passing  singly  through  another,  becomes  a guest ; once 
beyond  the  walls,  he  is  likely  to  be  beaten  to  insensibility 
by  his  hospitable  foes. 

At  the  Sulaymaniyah  we  turned  off  the  main  road  into 
a bye- way,  and  ascended  by  narrow  lanes  the  rough  heights 
of  Jebel  Hindi,  upon  which  stands  a small  whitewashed  and 
crenellated  building  called  a u fort.”  Thence  descending, 
we  threaded  dark  streets,  in  places  crowded  with  rude  cots 
and  dusky  figures,  and  finally  at  2 a.  m.  we  found  ourselves 
at  the  door  of  the  boy  Mohammed’s  house. 

We  arrived  on  the  morning  of  Sunday  the  7th  Zu’l 
Hijjah  (11th  September,  1853),  and  had  one  day  before  the 
beginning  of  the  pilgrimage  to  repose  and  visit  the  Haram. 
From  El  Medinah  to  Meccah  the  distance,  according  to  my 
calculation,  was  248  English  miles,  which  was  accomplished 
in  eleven  marches. 

* I cannot  conceive  what  made  the  accurate  Niebuhr  fall  into  the 
strange  error  that  “ apparitions  are  unknown  in  Arabia.”  Arabs  fear 
to  sleep  alone,  to  enter  the  bath  at  night,  to  pass  by  cemeteries  during 
dark,  and  to  sit  amongst  ruins,  simply  for  fear  of  apparitions.  And 
Arabia,  together  with  Persia,  has  supplied  half  the  Western  World 
— Southern  Europe — with  its  ghost  stories  and  tales  of  angels,  demons, 
and  fairies.  To  quote  Milton,  the  land  is  struck  “ with  superstition  as 
with  a planet.” 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 


THE  HOUSE  OF  ALLAH. 

The  House  of  Allah  has  been  so  fully  described  by  my  pre- 
decessors, that  there  is  little  inducement  to  attempt  a new 
portrait.  Readers,  however,  may  desire  a view  of  the  great 
sanctuary,  and,  indeed,  without  a plan  and  its  explanation, 
the  ceremonies  of  the  Haram  would  be  scarcely  intelligible. 
I will  do  homage  to  the  memory  of  the  accurate  Burck- 
hardt,  and  extract  from  his  pages  a description  which  may 
be  illustrated  by  a few  notes. 

“ The  Kaabah  stands  in  an  oblong  square  (enclosed  by 
a great  wall)  250  paces  long,  and  200  broad,  none  of  the 
sides  of  which  run  quite  in  a straight  line,  though  at  first 
sight  the  whole  appears  to  be  of  a regular  shape.  This  open 
square  is  enclosed  on  the  eastern  side  by  a colonnade.  The 
pillars  stand  in  a quadruple  row ; they  are  three  deep  on  the 
other  sides,  and  united  by  pointed  arches,  every  four  of 
which  support  a small  dome  plastered  and  whitened  on  the 
outside.  These  domes,  according  to  Kotobeddyn,  are  152 
in  number.*  The  pillars  are  above  twenty  feet  in  height, 

* On  each  short  side  I counted  24  domes ; on  the  long  35.  This 
would  give  a total  of  118  along  the  cloisters.  The  Arabs  reckon  in  all 


THE  MOSQUE  AT  MECCAH. 


367 

and  generally  from  one  foot  and  a half  to  one  foot  and  three 
quarters  in  diameter ; but  little  regularity  has  been  observed 
in  regard  to  them.  Some  are  of  white  marble,  granite  or 
porphyry  ; but  the  greater  number  are  of  common  stone  of 
the  Meccah  mountains.  El  Fasy  states  the  whole  at  589, 
and  says  they  are  all  of  marble  excepting  126,  which  are  of 
common  stone,  and  three  of  composition.  Kotobeddyn 
reckons  555,  of  which,  according  to  him,  311  are  of  marble, 
and  the  rest  of  the  stone  taken  from  the  neighboring  moun- 
tains ; but  neither  of  these  authors  lived  to  see  the  latest 
repairs  of  the  mosque,  after  the  destruction  occasioned  by  a 
torrent  in  a.  d.  1626.*  Between  every  three  or  four  columns 
stands  an  octagonal  one,  about  four  feet  in  thickness.  On 
the  east  side  are  two  shafts  of  reddish  grey  granite  in  one 
piece,  and  one  line  grey  porphyry  with  slabs  of  white  feld- 
spath.  On  the  north  side  is  one  red  granite  column,  and 
one  of  line-grained  red  porphyry ; these  are  probably  the 
columns  which  Kotobeddyn  states  to  have  been  brought 
from  Egypt,  and  principally  from  Akhmin  (Panopolis),  when 
the  chief  (Caliph)  El  Mohdy  enlarged  the  mosque  in  a.  h. 
163.  Among  the  450  or  500  columns  which  form  the  enclo- 
sure I found  not  any  two  capitals  or  bases  exactly  alike. 
The  capitals  are  of  coarse  Saracen  workmanship ; some  of 
them,  which  had  served  for  former  buildings,  by  the  igno- 

152  ; viz.  24  on  the  east  side,  on  the  north  36,  on  the  south  36 ; one  on 
the  mosque  corner,  near  the  Zarurali  minaret;  16  at  the  porch  of  the 
Bab  el  Ziyadah  ; and  1 5 at  the  Bab  Ibrahim.  The  shape  of  these  domes 
is  the  usual  “ Media-Naranja,”  and  the  superstition  of  the  Meccans  in- 
forms the  pilgrim  that  they  cannot  be  counted.  Books  reckon  1352 
pinnacles  or  battlements  on  the  temple  wall. 

* I counted  in  the  temple  554  pillars.  It  is,  however,  difficult  to  be 
accurate,  as  the  four  colonnades  and  the  porticos  about  the  two  great 
gates  are  irregular ; topographical  observations,  moreover,  must  here  be 
much  under  difficulties.  Ali  Bey  numbers  them  roughly  at  “ plus  de 
500  colonnes  et  pilastres.” 


368  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAII  AND  MECCAH. 

ranee  of  the  workmen,  have  been  placed  upside  down  upon 
the  shafts.  I observed  about  half  a dozen  marble  bases  of 
good  Grecian  workmanship.  A few  of  the  marble  columns 
bear  Arabic  or  Cufic  inscriptions,  in  which  I read  the  dates 
863  and  762  (a.  h.)*  A column  on  the  east  side  exhibits  a 
very  ancient  Cufic  inscription,  somewhat  defaced,  which  I 
could  neither  read  nor  copy.  Some  of  the  columns  are 
strengthened  with  broad  iron  rings  or  bands, f as  in  many 
other  Saracen  buildings  of  the  East. 

“ Some  parts  of  the  walls  and  arches  are  gaudily  painted 
in  stripes  of  yellow,  red,  and  blue,  as  are  also  minarets. 
Paintings  of  flowers,  in  the  usual  Muselman  style,  are 
nowhere  seen;  the  floors  of  the  colonnades  are  paved 
with  large  stones  badly  cemented  together.” 

“ Some  paved  causeways  lead  from  the  colonnades 
towards  the  Kaabah,  or  Holy  House,  in  the  centre.  They 
are  of  sufficient  breadth  to  admit  four  or  five  persons  to  walk 
abreast,  and  they  are  elevated  about  nine  inches  above  the 
ground.  Between  these  causeways,  which  are  covered  with 
fine  gravel  or  sand,  grass  appears  growing  in  several  places, 
produced  by  the  Zem  Zem  water  oozing  out  of  the  jars 
placed  in  (on)  the  ground  in  long  rows  during  the  day.J 
There  is  a descent  of  eight  or  ten  steps  from  the  gates 
on  the  north  side  into  the  platform  of  the  colonnade, 

* The  author  afterwards  informs  us,  that  “ the  temple  has  been  so 
often  ruined  and  repaired,  that  no  traces  of  remote  antiquity  are  to  be 
found  about  it.”  He  mentions  some  modern  and  unimportant  inscrip- 
tions upon  the  walls  and  over  the  gates.  Knowing  that  many  of  the 
pillars  were  sent  in  ships  from  Syria  and  Egypt  by  the  Caliph  El  Mahdi, 
a traveller  would  have  expected  better  things. 

f The  reason  being,  that  “ those  shafts  formed  of  the  Meccan  stone 
are  mostly  in  three  pieces ; but  the  marble  shafts  are  in  one  piece.” 

% The  jars  are  little  amphorae,  each  inscribed  with  the  name  of  the 
donor  and  a peculiar  cypher. 


THE  KAABAH. 


369 


and  of  three  or  four  steps  from  the  gates  on  the  south 
side.” 

“ Towards  the  middle  of  this  area  stands  the  Kaabah  ; 
it  is  115  paces  from  the  north  colonnade,  and  88  from  the 
south.  For  this  want  of  symmetry  we  may  readily  account, 
the  Kaabah  having  existed  prior  to  the  mosque,  which  was 
built  around  it,  and  enlarged  at  different  periods.  The 
Kaabah  is  an  oblong  massive  structure,  18  paces  in  length, 
14  in  breadth,  and  from  35  to  40  feet  in  height.  It  is 
constructed  of  the  grey  Mekka  stone,  in  large  blocks 
of  different  sizes  joined  together,  in  a very  rough  manner, 
with  bad  cement.*  It  was  entirely  rebuilt,  as  it  now  stands, 
in  a.  d.  1627.  The  torrent  in  the  preceding  year  had 
thrown  down  three  of  its  sides,  and,  preparatory  to  its 
re-erection,  the  fourth  side  was,  according  to  Asamy,  pulled 
down,  after  the  Olemas,  or  learned  divines,  had  been  con- 
sulted on  the  question  whether  mortals  might  be  permitted 
to  destroy  any  part  of  the  holy  edifice  without  incurring  the 
charge  of  sacrilege  and  infidelity.” 

“ The  Kaabah  stands  upon  a base  two  feet  in  height, 
which  presents  a sharp  inclined  plane.f  Its  roof  being  flat, 
it  has  at  a distance  the  appearance  of  a perfect  cube.  The 

* I would  alter  this  sentence  thus : — “ It  is  built  of  fine  grey  granite 
in  horizontal  courses  of  masonry  of  irregular  depth;  the  stones  are 
tolerably  fitted  together,  and  held  by  excellent  mortar  like  Roman 
cement.”  The  lines  are  also  straight. 

f This  base  is  called  El  Shazarwan,  from  the  Persian  Shadarwan,  a 
cornice,  eaves,  or  canopy.  It  is  in  pent-house  shape,  projecting  about  a 
foot  beyond  the  wall,  and  composed  of  fine  white  marble  slabs,  polished 
like  glass ; there  are  two  breaks  in  it,  one  opposite  and  under  the  door- 
way, and  another  in  front  of  Ishmael’s  tomb.  Pilgrims  are  directed, 
during  circumambulation,  to  keep  their  bodies  outside  of  the  Shazarwan ; 
this  would  imply  it  to  be  part  of  the  building,  but  its  only  use  appears 
in  the  large  brass  rings  welded  into  it,  for  the  purpose  of  holding  down 
the  Kaabah  covering. 

16* 


370  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINA!!  AND  MECCAH. 


only  door  which  affords  entrance,  and  which  is  opened  but 
two  or  three  times  a year,*  is  on  the  north  side  and  about 
seven  feet  above  the  ground.  In  the  first  periods  of  Islam, 
however,  when  it  was  rebuilt  in  A.  h.  64  by  Ibn  Zebeyr, 
chief  of  Mecca,  it  had  two  doors  even  with  the  ground- 
floor  of  the  mosque.  The  present  door  (which,  according 
to  Azraky,  was  brought  hither  from  Constantinople  in  a.  d. 
1633)  is  wholly  coated  with  silver,  and  has  several  gilt 
ornaments;  upon  its  threshold  are  placed  every  night 
various  small  lighted  wax  candles,  and  perfuming  pans, 
filled  with  musk,  aloe-wood,  &c.”  f 

“At  the  north-east  (south-east)  corner  of  theKaabah,  near 
the  door,  is  the  famous  c Black  Stone J it  forms  a part  of 

* In  Ibn  Jubair’s  time  the  Kaabah  was  opened  every  day  in  Rajab, 
and  in  other  months  on  every  Monday  and  Friday.  The  house  may 
now  be  entered  ten  or  twelve  times  a year  gratis ; and  by  pilgrims  as 
often  as  they  can  collect,  amongst  parties,  a sum  sufficient  to  tempt  the 
guardians*  cupidity. 

f Pilgrims  and  ignorant  devotees  collect  the  drippings  of  wax,  the 
ashes  of  the  aloe-wood,  and  the  dust  from  the  “ Atabah or  threshold 
of  the  Kaabah,  either  to  rub  upon  their  foreheads  or  to  preserve  as 
relics.  These  superstitious  practices  are  sternly  rebuked  by  the  Ulema. 

\ I will  not  enter  into  the  fabulous  origin  of  the  Hajar  el  Aswad. 
Some  of  the  traditions  connected  with  it  are  truly  absurd.  “ When 
Allah,”  says  Ali,  “ made  covenant  with  the  sons  of  Adam  on  the  Day 
of  Fealty,  he  placed  the  paper  inside  the  stone it  will,  therefore, 
appear  at  the  judgment,  and  bear  witness  to  all  who  have  touched  it. 
Moslems  agree  that  it  was  originally  white,  and  became  black  by  reason 
of  men’s  sins.  It  appeared  to  me  a common  aerolite  covered  with  a 
thick  shaggy  coating,  glossy  and  pitch-like,  worn  and  polished.  Dr. 
Wilson  of  Bombay  showed  me  a specimen  in  his  possession,  which 
externally  appeared  to  be  a black  slag,  with  the  inside  of  a bright  and 
sparkling  greyish-white,  the  result  of  admixture  of  nickel  with  the  iron. 
This  might  possibly,  as  the  learned  Orientalist  then  suggested,  account 
for  the  mythic  change  of  color,  its  appearance  on  earth  after  a thunder- 
storm, and  its  being  originally  a material  part  of  the  heavens.  Kutb  el 


THE  “ BLACK  STONE.”  37 1 

the  sharp  angle  of  the  building*  at  four  or  five  feet  above 
the  ground.f  It  is  an  irregular  oval,  about  seven  inches  in 
diameter,  with  an  undulating  surface,  composed  of  about  a 
dozen  smaller  stones  of  different  sizes  and  shapes,  well 
joined  together  with  a small  quantity  of  cement,  and  per- 
fectly well  smoothed : it  looks  as  if  the  whole  had  been 
broken  into  many  pieces  by  a violent  blow,  and  then  united 
again.  It  is  very  difficult  to  determine  accurately  the 
quality  of  this  stone,  which  has  been  worn  to  its  present 
surface  by  the  millions  of  touches  and  kisses  it  has  received. 
It  appeared  to  me  like  a lava,  containing  several  small 
extraneous  particles  of  a whitish  and  of  a yellowish  sub- 
stance. Its  color  is  now  a deep  reddish  brown,  approaching 
to  black.  It  is  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  a border  com- 
posed of  a substance  which  I took  to  be  a close  cement 
of  pitch  and  gravel  of  a similar,  but  not  quite  the  same 
brownish  color. J This  border  serves  to  support  its  detached 

Din  expressly  declares  that,  when  the  Karamitah  restored  it  after 
twenty-two  years  to  the  Meccans,  men  kissed  it  and  rubbed  it  upon  their 
brows ; and  remarked  that  the  blackness  was  only  superficial,  the  inside 
being  white. 

* Presenting  this  appearance  in  profile.  The  Hajar  has  suffered 
from  the  iconoclastic  principle  of  Islam,  haying  once  narrowly  escaped 
destruction  by  order  of  El  Hakim  of  Egypt.  In  these  days  the  metal 
rim  serves  as  a protection  as  well  as  an  ornament. 

f The  height  of  the  Hajar  from  the  ground,  according  to  my  mea- 
surement, is  four  feet  nine  inches ; Ali  Bey  places  it  forty-two  inches 
above  the  pavement. 

% The  color  appeared  to  me  black  and  metallic,  and  the  centre  of  the 
stone  was  sunk  about  two  inches  below  the  metal  circle.  Round  the 
sides  was  a reddish  brown  cement,  almost  level  with  the  metal,  and 
sloping  down  to  the  middle  of  the  stone. 

Ibn  Jubair  declares  the  depth  of  the  stone  unknown,  but  that  most 
people  believe  it  to  extend  two  cubits  into  the  wall.  In  his  day  it  was 
three  “Shibr”  (the  large  span  from  the  thumb  to  the  little  finger  tip) 
broad,  and  one  span  long,  with  knobs,  and  a joining  of  four  pieces, 


372  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

pieces ; it  is  two  or  three  inches  in  breadth,  and  rises  a little 
above  the  surface  of  the  stone.  Both  the  border  and  the 
stone  itself  are  encircled  by  a silver  band,*  broader  below 
than  above,  and  on  the  two  sides,  with  a considerable 
swelling  below,  as  if  a part  of  the  stone  were  hidden  under  it. 
The  lower  part  of  the  border  is  studded  with  silver  nails.” 

“In  the  south-east  corner  of  the  Kaabah,  or,  as  the 
Arabs  call  it,  Rokn  el  Yemany,  there  is  another  stone 
about  five  feet  from  the  ground ; it  is  one  foot  and  a half  in 
length,  and  two  inches  in  breadth,  placed  upright,  and 
of  the  common  Meccah  stone.  This  the  people  walking 
round  the  Kaabah  touch  only  with  the  right  hand ; they  do 
not  kiss  it.f 

“ On  the  north  side  of  the  Kaabah,  just  by  its  door,  and 
close  to  the  wall,  is  a slight  hollow  in  the  ground,  lined 
with  marble,  and  sufficiently  large  to  admit  of  three  per- 
sons sitting.  Here  it  is  thought  meritorious  to  pray  : the 
spot  is  called  El  Maajan,  and  supposed  to  be  where 
Abraham  and  his  son  Ismail  kneaded  the  chalk  and  mud 
which  they  used  in  building  the  Kaabah ; and  near  this 
Maajan  the  former  is  said  to  have  placed  the  large  stone 
upon  which  he  stood  while  working  at  the  masonry.  On 
the  basis  of  the  Kaabah,  just  over  the  Maajan,  is  an  ancient 
Cufic  inscription ; but  this  I was  unable  to  decipher,  and 
had  no  opportunity  of  copying  it.” 

“ On  the  west  (north-west)  side  of  the  Kaabah,  about 
two  feet  below  its  summit,  is  the  famous  Myzab,  or  water- 

which  the  Karamitah  had  broken.  The  stone  was  set  in  a silver  band. 
Its  softness  and  moisture  were  such,  says  Ibn  Jubair,  “ that  the  sinner 
never  would  remove  his  mouth  from  it,  which  phenomenon  made  the 
Prophet  declare  it  to  be  the  covenant  of  Allah  on  earth.” 

* The  band  is  now  a massive  arch  of  gold  or  silver  gilt.  I found 
the  aperture  in  which  the  stone  is,  one  span  and  three  fingers  long, 
f I have  frequently  seen  it  kissed  by  men  and  women. 


THE  TOMB  OF  ISMAYL. 


373 


spout,*  through  which  the  rain-water  collected  on  the  roof 
of  the  building  is  discharged,  so  as  to  fall  upon  the  ground ; 
it  is  about  four  feet  in  length,  and  six  inches  in  breadth,  as 
well  as  I could  judge  from  below,  with  borders  equal  in 
height  to  its  breadth.  At  the  mouth  hangs  what  is  called 
the  beard  of  the  Myzab  : a gilt  board,  over  which  the 
water  flows.  This  spout  was  sent  hither  from  Constanti- 
nople in  a.  h.  981,  and  is  reported  to  be  of  pure  gold.  The 
pavement  round  the  Kaabah,  below  the  Myzab,  was  laid 
down  in  a.  h.  826,  and  consists  of  various  colored  stones, 
forming  a very  handsome  specimen  of  mosaic.  There  are 
two  large  slabs  of  fine  verde  antico  in  the  centre,  which, 
according  to  Makrizi,  were  sent  thither,  as  presents  from 
Cairo,  in  a.  h.  241.  This  is  the  spot  where,  according  to 
Mohammedan  tradition,  Ismayl  the  son  of  Ibrahim,  and  his 
mother  Hijirah  are  buried ; and  here  it  is  meritorious  for 
the  pilgrim  to  recite  a prayer  of  two  Rikats.  On  this  side 
is  a semicircular  wall,  the  two  extremities  of  which  are  in  a 
line  with  the  sides  of  the  Kaabah,  and  distant  from  it  three 
or  four  feet,  leaving  an  opening,  which  leads  to  the  burial- 
place  of  Ismayl.  The  wall  bears  the  name  of  El  Hatym ; 
and  the  area  which  it  encloses  is  called  Hedjer,  on  account 
of  its  being  separated  from  the  Kaabah  : the  wall  itself  also 
is  sometimes  so  called.” 

“ Tradition  says  that  the  Kaabah  once  extended  as  far 
as  the  Hatym,  and  that  this  side  having  fallen  down  just  at 
the  time  of  the  Hadj,  the  expenses  of  repairing  it  were 
demanded  from  the  pilgrims,  under  a pretence  that  the 
revenues  of  government  were  not  acquired  in  a manner 
sufficiently  pure  to  admit  of  their  application  towards  a pur- 

* Generally  called  Myzab  el  Rahmah  (of  mercy).  It  carries  rain 
from  the  roof,  and  discharges  it  upon  Ishmael’s  grave,  where  pilgrims 
stand  fighting  to  catch  it.  In  El  Edrisi’s  time  it  was  of  wood ; now  it 
is  said  to  be  gold,  but  it  looks  very  dingy. 


374  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINA!!  AND  MECCAH. 

pose  so  sacred.  The  sum,  however,  obtained  proved  very 
inadequate ; all  that  could  be  done,  therefore,  was  to  raise 
a wall,  which  marked  the  space  formerly  occupied  by  the 
Kaabah.  This  tradition,  although  current  among  the  Meto- 
wefs  (cicerones),  is  at  variance  with  history;  which  declares 
that  the  Hedjer  was  built  by  the  Beni  Koreish,  who  con- 
tracted the  dimensions  of  the  Kaabah : that  it  was  united 
to  the  building  by  Hadjadj,  and  again  separated  from  it  by 
Ibn  Zebeyr.  It  is  asserted  by  Fasy,  that  a part  of  the 
Hedjer  as  it  now  stands  was  never  comprehended  within 
the  Kaabah.  The  law  regards  it  as  a portion  of  the 
Kaabah,  inasmuch  as  it  is  esteemed  equally  meritorious  to 
pray  in  the  Hedjer  as  in  the  Kaabah  itself;  and  the  pil- 
grims who  have  not  an  opportunity  of  entering  the  latter 
are  permitted  to  affirm  upon  oath  that  they  have  prayed  in 
the  Kaabah,  although  they  have  only  prostrated  themselves 
within  the  enclosure  of  the  Hatym.  The  wall  is  built  of  solid 
stone,  about  five  feet  in  height,  and  four  in  thickness,  cased  all 
over  with  white  marble,  and  inscribed  with  prayers  and  invoca- 
tions neatly  sculptured  upon  the  stone  in  modern  characters. 
These  and  the  casing,  are  the  work  of  El  Ghoury,  the  Egyptian 
sultan,  in  a.  h.  917.  The  walk  round  the  Kaabah  is  performed 
on  the  outside  of  the  wall — the  nearer  to  it  the  better.” 

“ Round  the  Kaabah  is  a good  pavement  of  marble* 
about  eight  inches  below  the  level  of  the  great  square  ; it 
was  laid  in  a.  h.  981,  by  order  of  the  sultan,  and  describes 
an  irregular  oval;  it  is  surrounded  by  thirty-two  slender 
gilt  pillars,  or  rather  poles,  between  every  two  of  which  are 
suspended  seven  glass  lamps,  always  lighted  after  sunset. f 

* It  is  a fine,  close,  grey  granite,  polished  like  glass  by  the  feet  of 
the  faithful ; the  walk  is  called  El  Mataf,  or  the  place  of  circumam- 
bulation. 

I These  are  now  iron  posts,  very  numerous,  supporting  cross  rods, 
and  of  tolerably  elegant  shape.  In  Ali  Bey’s  time  there  were  “ trente- 


THE  FOUR  STATIONS  FOR  PRAYERS. 


375 


Beyond  the  poles  is  a second  pavement,  about  eight  paces 
broad,  somewhat  elevated  above  the  first,  but  of  coarser 
work ; then  another  six  inches  higher,  and  eighteen  paces 
broad,  upon  which  stand  several  small  buildings ; beyond 
this  is  the  gravelled  ground ; so  that  two  broad  steps  may 
be  said  to  lead  from  the  square  down  to  the  Kaabah.  The 
small  buildings  just  mentioned  which  surround  the  Kaabah 
are  the  five  Makams,  with  the  well  of  Zem  Zem,  the  arch 
called  Bab  es  Salam,  and  the  Mambar.” 

“ Opposite  the  four  sides  of  the  Kaabah  stand  four  other 
small  buildings,  where  the  Imaums  of  the  orthodox  Moham- 
medan sects,  the  Hanefy,  Shafey,  Hanbaly,  and  Maleky 
take  their  station,  and  guide  the  congregation  in  their 
prayers.  The  Makam  el  Maleky  on  the  south,  and  that  of 
Hanbaly  opposite  the  Black  Stone,  are  small  pavilions  open 
on  all  sides,  and  supported  by  four  slender  pillars,  with  a 
light  sloping  rqof,  terminating  in  a point,  exactly  in  the 
style  of  Indian  pagodas.  The  Makam  el  Hanefy,  which  is 
the  largest,  being  fifteen  paces  by  eight,  is  open  on  all  sides,  and 
supported  by  twelve  small  pillars ; it  has  an  upper  story,  also 
open,  where  the  Mueddin  who  calls  to  prayers  takes  his  stand. 
This  was  first  built  in  a.  h.  923,  by  Sultan  Selim  I. ; it  was 
afterwards  rebuilt  by  Khoshgeldy,  governor  of  Djidda,  in 
947 ; but  all  the  four  Makams,  as  they  now  stand,  were 
built  in  a.  h.  1074.  The  Makam-es’-Shafey  is  over  the  well 
Zem  Zem,  to  which  it  serves  as  an  upper  chamber.* 

une  colonnes  minces  en  piliers  en  bronze.”  Some  native  works  say 
thirty- three,  including  two  marble  columns.  Between  each  two  hang 
several  white  or  green  glass  globe-lamps,  with  wicks  and  oil  floating  on 
water ; their  light  is  faint  and  dismal.  The  whole  of  the  lamps  in  the 
Harara  is  said  to  be  more  than  1000,  yet  they  serve  but  to  “make 
darkness  visible.” 

* Only  the  Muezzin  takes  his  stand  here,  and  the  Shafeis  pray 
behind  their  Imam  on  the  pavement  round  the  Kaabah,  between  the 


376  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

“ Near  their  respective  Makams  the  adherents  of  the 
four  different  sects  seat  themselves  for  prayers.  During 
my  stay  at  Meccah  the  Hanefys  always  began  their  prayer 
first  ; but,  according  to  Muselman  custom,  the  Shafeys 
should  pray  first  in  the  mosque  ; then  the  Hamefys, 
Malekys,  and  Hanbalys.  The  prayer  of  the  Maghreb  is 
an  exception,  which  they  are  all  enjoined  to  utter  together.* 
The  Makam  el  Hanbaly  is  the  place  where  the  officers  of 
government  and  other  great  people  are  seated  during 
prayers ; here  the  Pacha  and  the  sherif  are  placed,  and  in 
their  absence  the  eunuchs  of  the  temple.  These  fill  the 
space  under  this  Makam  in  front,  and  behind  it  the  female 
Hadjys  who  visit  the  temple  have  their  places  assigned,  to 
which  they  repair  principally  for  the  two  evening  prayers, 
few  of  them  being  seen  in  the  mosque  at  the  three  other 
daily  prayers : they  also  perform  the  Towaf,  or  walk  round 
the  Kaabah,  but  generally  at  night,  though  it  is  not  uncom- 
mon to  see  them  walking  in  the  day-time  among  the 
men.” 

“ The  present  building  which  encloses  Zem  Zem  stands 
close  by  the  Makam  Hanbaly,  and  was  erected  in  a.  h.  1072  : 
it  is  of  a square  shape,  and  of  massive  construction,  with  an 

corner  of  the  well  Zem  Zem,  and  the  Makam  Ibrahim.  This  place  is 
forty  cubits  from  the  Kaabah,  that  is  to  say,  eight  cubits  nearer  than  the 
northern  and  southern  “ Makams.”  Thus  the  pavement  forms  an  irregu- 
lar oval  ring  round  the  house. 

* In  Burckhardt’s  time  the  schools  prayed  according  to  the  seniority 
of  their  founders,  and  they  uttered  the  Azan  of  El  Maghrib  together, 
because  that  is  a peculiarly  delicate  hour,  which  easily  passes  by 
unnoticed.  In  the  twelfth  century,  at  all  times  but  the  evening,  the 
Shafei  began,  then  came  the  Maliki  and  Hanbali  simultaneously,  and, 
lastly,  the  Hanafi.  Now  the  Shaykh  el  Muezzin  begins  the  call,  which 
is  taken  up  by  the  others.  He  is  a Hanafi ; as  indeed  are  all  the 
principal  people  at  Meccah,  only  a few  wild  Sherifs  of  the  hills  being 
Shafei. 


EL  KOBBATEYN. 


377 


entrance  to  the  north,  opening  into  the  room  which  contains 
the  well.  This  room  is  beautifully  ornamented  with  marbles 
of  various  colors ; and  adjoining  to  it,  but  having  a separate 
door,  is  a small  room  with  a stone  reservoir,  which  is  always 
full  of  Zem  Zem  water.  This  the  Hadjys  get  to  drink  by 
passing  their  hand  with  a cup  through  an  iron  grated  open- 
ing, which  serves  as  a window,  into  the  reservoir,  without 
entering  the  room.  The  mouth  of  the  well  is  surrounded 
by  a wall  five  feet  in  height  and  about  ten  feet  in  diameter. 
Upon  this  the  people  stand  who  draw  up  the  water  in  lea- 
thern buckets,  an  iron  railing  being  so  placed  as  to  prevent 
their  falling  in.  In  El  Fasy’s  time  there  were  eight  marble 
basins  in  this  room,  for  the  purpose  of  ablution. 

u On  the  north-east  (south-east)  side  of  Zem  Zem  stand 
two  small  buildings,  one  behind  the  other,  called  El  Kob- 
bateyn ; they  are  covered  by  domes  painted  in  the  same 
manner  as  the  mosque,  and  in  them  are  kept  water-jars, 
lamps,  carpets,  mats,  brooms,  and  other  articles  used  in  the 
very  mosque.  These  two  ugly  buildings  are  injurious  to  the 
interior  appearance  of  the  building,  their  heavy  forms  and 
structure  being  very  disadvantageous^  contrasted  with  the 
light  and  airy  shape  of  the  Makams.  I heard  some  Hadjys 
from  Greece,  men  of  better  taste  than  the  Arabs,  express 
their  regret  that  the  Kobbateyn  should  be  allowed  to 
disfigure  the  mosque.  They  were  built  by  Khoshgeldy, 
governor  of  Djidda  a.  h.  947;  one  is  called  Kobbert  el 
Abbas,  from  having  been  placed  on  the  site  of  a small 
tank  said  to  have  been  formed  by  Abbas,  the  uncle  of 
Mohammed.” 

“ A few  paces  west  (north-west)  of  Zem  Zem,  and 
directly  opposite  to  the  door  of  the  Kaabah,  stands  a ladder 
or  staircase,  which  is  moved  up  to  the  wall  of  the  Kaabah 
on  days  when  that  building  is  opened,  and  by  which  the 
visitors  ascend  to  the  door.  It  is  of  wood,  with  some  carved 


378  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

ornaments,  moves  on  low  wheels,  and  is  sufficiently  broad 
to  admit  of  four  persons  ascending  abreast.  The  first  ladder 
was  sent  hither  from  Cairo  in  a.  h.  818  by  Moyaed  Abou  el 
Naser,  king  of  Egypt.” 

“ In  the  same  line  with  the  ladder  and  close  by  it  stands 
a lightly  built  insulated  and  circular  arch,  about  fifteen  feet 
wide,  and  eighteen  feet  high,  called  Bab-es-Salam,  which 
must  not  be  confounded  with  the  great  gate  of  the  mosque, 
bearing  the  same  name.  Those  who  enter  the  Bait  Ullah 
for  the  first  time  are  enjoined  to  do  so  by  the  outer  and 
inner  Bab-es-Salam ; in  passing  under  the  latter  they  are  to 
exclaim,  4 O God,  may  it  be  a happy  entrance.’  I do  not 
know  by  whom  this  arch  was  built,  but  it  appears  to  be 
modern.” 

44  Nearly  in  front  of  the  Bab-es-Salam  and  nearer  than 
the  Kaabah  than  any  of  the  other  surrounding  buildings, 
stands  the  Makam  Ibrahim.*  This  is  a small  building  sup- 
ported by  six  pillars  about  eight  feet  high,  four  of  which  are 
surrounded  from  top  to  bottom  by  a fine  iron  railing,  while 
they  leave  the  space  beyond  the  two  hind  pillars  open; 
within  the  railing  is  a frame  about  five  feet  square,  termi- 
nating in  a pyramidal  top,  and  said  to  contain  the  sacred 
stone  upon  which  Ibrahim  stood  when  he  built  the  Kaabah, 
and  which  with  the  help  of  his  son  Ismayl  he  had  removed 
from  hence  to  the  place  called  Maajen,  already  mentioned. 
The  stone  is  said  to  have  yielded  under  the  weight  of  the 
Patriarch,  and  to  preserve  the  impression  of  his  foot  still 
visible  upon  it ; but  no  hadjy  has  ever  seen  it,f  as  the  frame 

* “ The  (prayijig)  place  of  Abraham.”  Readers  will  remember  that 
the  Meccan  Mosque  is  peculiarly  connected  with  Ibrahim,  whom  Mos- 
lems prefer  to  all  prophets  except  Mohammed. 

f This  I believe  to  be  incorrect.  I was  asked  five  dollars  for  per- 
mission to  enter ; but  the  sum  was  too  high  for  my  finances.  Learned 
men  told  me  that  the  stone  shows  the  impress  of  two  feet,  especially  the 


THE  MAMBAR,  OR  PULPIT  OF  THE  MOSQUE.  379 

is  always  entirely  covered  with  a brocade  of  red  silk  richly 
embroidered.  Persons  are  constantly  seen  before  the  railing 
invoking  the  good  offices  of  Ibrahim ; and  a short  prayer 
must  be  uttered  by  the  side  of  the  Makam  after  the  walk 
round  the  Kaabah  is  completed.  In  this  part  of  the  area 
the  Khalif  Soleyman  built  a fine  reservoir  in  a.h.  97,  which 
was  filled  from  a spring  east  of  Arafat ; but  the  Mekkawys 
destroyed  it  after  his  death,  on  the  pretence  that  the  water 
of  Zem  Zem  was  preferable.” 

“ On  the  side  of  Makam  Ibrahim,  facing  the  middle 
part  of  the  front  of  the  Kaabah,  stands  the  Mambar,  or 
pulpit  of  the  mosque  ; it  is  elegantly  formed  of  fine  white 
marble,  with  many  sculptured  ornaments ; and  was  sent  as 
a present  to  the  mosque  in  a.  h.  969  by  Sultan  Soleyman 
Ibn  Selym.  A straight,  narrow  staircase  leads  up  to  the 
post  of  the  Khatyb,  or  preacher,  which  is  surmounted  by  a 
gilt  polygonal  pointed  steeple,  resembling  an  obelisk. 
Here  a sermon  is  preached  on  Fridays  and  on  certain  festi- 
vals. These,  like  the  Friday  sermons  of  all  mosques  in  the 
Mohammedan  countries,  are  usually  of  the  same  turn,  with 
some  slight  alterations  upon  extraordinary  occasions.” 

“ I have  now  described  all  the  buildings  within  the  in- 
closure of  the  temple.” 

“ The  gates  of  the  mosque  are  nineteen  in  number,  and 
are  distributed  about  it  without  any  order  or  symmetry.” 
Burckhardt’s  description  of  the  gates  is  short  and  im- 
perfect. On  the  eastern  side  of  the  mosque  there  are  four 
principal  entrances,  seven  on  the  southern  side,  three  in 
the  western,  and  five  in  the  northern  wall. 

The  eastern  gates  are  the  Greater  Bab  el  Salam, 
through  which  the  pilgrim  enters  the  mosque ; it  is  close  to 

big  toes,  and  devout  pilgrims  fill  the  cavities  with  water,  which  they 
rub  over  their  eyes  and  faces. 


380  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

the  north-east  angle.  Next  to  it  the  Lesser  Bab  el  Salam, 
with  two  small  arches ; thirdly,  the  Bab  el  Nabi,  where  the 
Prophet  used  to  pass  through  from  Khadijah’s  house ; and, 
lastly,  near  the  south-east  corner,  the  Bab  Ali,  or  of  the 
Beni  Hashem,  opening  upon  the  street  between  Safa  and 
Marwah. 

Beyond  the  north-eastern  corner,  in  the  northern  wall, 
is  the  Bab  Duraybah,  a small  entrance  with  one  arch. 
Next  to  it,  almost  fronting  the  Kaabah,  is  the  grand  adit, 
“ Bab  el  Ziyadah,”  also  known  as  Bab  el  Nadwah.  Here 
the  colonnade,  projecting  far  beyond  the  normal  line,  forms 
a small  square  or  hall  supported  by  pillars,  and  a false 
colonnade  of  sixty-one  columns  leads  to  the  true  cloister  of 
the  mosque.  This  portion  of  the  building  being  cool  and 
shady,  is  crowded  by  the  poor,  the  diseased,  and  the 
dying,  during  divine  worship,  and  at  other  times  by  idlers, 
schoolboys,  and  merchants.  Passing  through  three  exter- 
nal arches,  pilgrims  descend  by  a flight  of  steps  into  the 
hall,  where  they  deposit  their  slippers,  it  not  being  con- 
sidered decorous  to  hold  them  when  circumambulating  the 
Kaabah.*  A broad  pavement,  in  the  shape  of  an  irregular 
triangle,  whose  base  is  the  cloister,  leads  to  the  circuit  of 
the  house. 

In  the  western  wall  are  three  entrances.  The  single- 
arched  gate  nearest  to  the  north  angle  is  called  Bab  Beni 
Saham  or  Bab  el  Umrah,  because  pilgrims  pass  through  it 
to  the  Tanim  and  the  ceremony  El  Umrah  (Little  Pilgrim- 
age). In  the  centre  of  the  wall  is  the  Bab  Ibrahim,  or  Bab 
el  Khayyatin  (the  Tailor’s  Gate) ; a single  arch  leading  into 
a large  projecting  square,  like  that  of  the  Ziyadah  en- 

* An  old  pair  of  slippers  is  here  what  the  “ shocking  bad  hat  ” is  at 
a crowded  house  in  Europe,  a self-preserver.  Burckhardt  lost  three 
pair.  I,  more  fortunate  or  less  wealthy,  only  one. 


THE  WESTERN  GATES  OF  THE  MOSQUE.  381 

trance,  but  somewhat  smaller.  Near  the  south-west  cor- 
ner is  a double-arched  adit,  the  Bab  el  Widaa  (“  of 
Farewell”):  hence  departing  pilgrims  issue  forth  from  the 
temple. 

At  the  western  end  of  the  southern  wall  is  the  two- 
arched  Bab  Umm  Hani,  so  called  after  the  lady’s  residence, 
when  included  in  the  mosque.  Next  to  it  is  a similar 
building,  which  derives  its  name  from  the  large  college 
44  Madrasat  Ujlan some  call  it  Bab  el  Sherif,  because  it 
is  opposite  one  of  the  palaces.  After  which,  and  also 
pierced  with  two  arches,  is  the  Bab  el  Jiyad,  the  gate 
leading  to  Jebel  Jiyad.  The  next  is  also  double  arched, 
and  called  the  Bab  el  Mujahid  or  el  Rahmah  (“  of  Mercy”). 
Nearly  opposite  the  Kaabah,  and  connected  with  the 
pavement  by  a raised  line  of  stone,  is  the  Bab  el  Safa, 
through  which  pilgrims  now  issue  to  perform  the  ceremony 
44  El  Sai ;”  it  is  a small  and  unconspicuous  erection.  Next 
to  it  is  the  Bab  el  Baglah  with  two  arches,  and  close  to  the 
south-east  angle  of  the  mosque  the  Bab  Yunus,  alias  Bab 
Bazan,  alias  Bab  el  Zayt,  alias  Bab  el  Asharah,  “ of  the 
ten,”  because  a favorite  with  the  ten  first  Sahabah,  or 
Companions  of  the  Prophet.  44  Most  of  these  gates,”  says 
Burckhardt,  44  have  high  pointed  arches ; but  a few  round 
arches  are  seen  among  them,  which,  like  all  arches  of  this 
kind  in  the  Hejar,  are  nearly  semicircular.  They  are  with- 
out ornament,  except  the  inscription  on  the  exterior,  which 
commemorates  the  name  of  the  builder,  and  they  are  all 
posterior  in  date  to  the  fourteenth  century.  As  each  gate 
consists  of  two  or  three  arches,  or  divisions,  separated  by 
narrow  walls,  these  divisions  are  counted  in  the  enu- 
meration of  the  gates  leading  into  the  Kaabah,  and 
they  make  up  the  number  thirty-nine.  There  being  no 
doors  to  the  gates,  the  mosque  is  consequently  open  at 
all  times.  I have  crossed  at  every  hour  of  the  night,  and 


382  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

always  found  people  there,  either  at  prayers  or  walking 
about.”* 

“ The  outside  walls  of  the  mosques  are  those  of  the 
houses  which  surround  it  on  all  sides.  These  houses  be- 
longed originally  to  the  mosque  ; the  greater  part  are  now 
the  property  of  individuals.  They  are  let  out  to  the 
richest  Hadjys,  at  very  high  prices,  as  much  as  500  piastres 
being  given  during  the  pilgrimage  for  a good  apartment 
with  windows  opening  into  the  mosque.  Windows  have  in 
consequence  been  opened  in  many  parts  of  the  wails  on 
a level  with  the  street,  and  above  that  of  the  floor  of  the 
colonnades.  Hadjys  living  in  these  apartments  are  allowed 
to  perform  the  Friday’s  prayers  at  home;  because,  having 
the  Kaabah  in  view  from  the  windows,  they  are  supposed 
to  be  in  the  mosque  itself,  and  to  join  in  prayer  those  assem- 
bled within  the  temple.  Upon  a level  with  the  ground 
floor  of  the  colonnades  and  opening  into  them  are  small 
apartments  formed  in  the  walls,  having  the  appearance  of 
dungeons ; these  have  remained  the  property  of  the  mosque 
while  the  houses  above  them  belong  to  private  individuals. 
They  are  let  out  to  watermen,  who  deposit  in  them  the 
Zem  Zem  jars,  or  to  less  opulent  Hadjys  who  wish  to  live 
in  the  mosque.  Some  of  the  surrounding  houses  still 
belong  to  the  mosque,  and  were  originally  intended  for 
public  schools,  as  their  name  of  Medresa  implies;  they  are 
now  all  let  out  to  Hadjys.” 

“ The  exterior  of  the  mosque  is  adorned  with  seven 
minarets  irregularly  distributed.  They  are  quadrangular 
or  round  steeples,  in  no  way  differing  from  other  minarets. 
The  entrance  to  them  is  from  the  different  buildings  round 
the  mosque,  which  they  adjoin.  A beautiful  view  of  the 

* The  Meccans  love  to  boast  that  at  no  hour  of  the  day  or  night  is 
the  Kaabah  ever  seen  without  a devotee  to  perform  “ Tawaf.” 


HISTORY  OF  THE  KAAJBAH. 


383 


busy  crowd  below  is  attained  by  ascending  the  most 
northern  one.”* 

Having  described  at  length  the  establishment  attached 
to  the  mosque  of  El  Medinah,  I spare  my  readers  a detailed 
account  of  the  crowd  of  idlers  that  hang  about  the  Meccan 
temple.  The  Naib  el  Haram,  or  vice-intendant,  is  one  Say- 
yid  Ali,  said  to  be  of  Indian  extraction ; he  is  superior  to 
all  the  attendants.  There  are  about  eighty  eunuchs,  whose 
chief,  Serur  Agha,  was  a slave  of  Mohammed  Ali  Pacha. 
Their  pay  varies  from  100  to  1000  piastres  per  mensem  ; it 
is,  however,  inferior  to  the  Medinah  salaries.  The  Imams, 
Muezzins,  Khatibs,  Zem  Zemis,  &c.,  &c.,  are  under  their  re- 
spective Shaykhs  who  are  of  the  Ulema. 

Briefly  to  relate  the  history  of  the  Kaabah. 

The  u House  of  Allah  ” is  supposed  to  have  been  built 
and  rebuilt  ten  times. 

1.  The  first  origin  of  the  idea  is  manifestly  a symbolical 
allusion  to  the  angels  standing  before  the  Almighty  and 
praising  his  name.  When  Allah,  it  is  said,  informed  the 
celestial  throng  that  he  was  about  to  send  a viceregent  on 
earth,  they  deprecated  the  design.  Being  reproved  in 
these  words,  “God  knoweth  what  ye  know  not,”  and 
dreading  eternal  anger,  they  compassed  the  Arsh,  or  throne, 
in  adoration.  Upon  this  Allah  created  the  Bait  el  Maamur, 
four  jasper  pillars  with  a ruby  roof,  and  the  angels  circum- 
ambulated it,  crying,  u Praise  to  Allah,  and  exalted  be 
Allah,  and  there  is  no  Allah  but  Allah,  and  Allah  is  omni- 
potent ! ” The  Creator  then  ordered  them  to  build  a simi- 

* A stranger  must  be  careful  how  he  appears  at  a minaret  window, 
unless  he  would  have  a bullet  whizzing  past  his  head.  Arabs  are  espe- 
cially  jealous  of  being  overlooked,  and  have  no  fellow-feeling  for  vota- 
ries of  “ beautiful  views.”  For  this  reason  here,  as  in  Egypt,  a blind 
Muezzin  is  preferred,  and  many  ridiculous  stories  are  told  about  men 
who  for  years  have  counterfeited  cecity  to  live  in  idleness. 


384  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINA II  AND  MECCAH. 


lar  house  for  man  on  earth.  This,  according  to  Ali,  took 
place  40,  according  to  Abu  Horayrah,  2000  years  before 
the  creation;  both  authorities,  however,  are  agreed  that 
the  firmaments  were  spread  above  and  the  seven  earths  be- 
neath this  Bait  el  Maamur. 

2.  There  is  considerable  contradiction  concerning  the 
second  house.  Kaab  related  that  Allah  sent  down  with 
Adam  * a Khaymah,  or  tabernacle  of  hollow  ruby,  which 
the  angels  raised  on  stone  pillars.  This  was  also  called  Bait 
el  Maamur.  Adam  received  an  order  to  compass  it  about ; 
after  which,  he  begged  a reward  for  obedience,  and  was 
promised  a pardon  to  himself  and  all  his  progeny  who 
repent. 

Others  declare  that  Adam,  expelled  from  Paradise,  and 
lamenting  that  he  no  longer  heard  the  prayers  of  the 
angels,  was  ordered  by  Allah  to  take  the  stones  of  five 
hills,  Lebanon,  Sinai,  Tur  Zayt,  Ararat,  and  Hira,  which 
afforded  the  first  stone.  Gabriel,  smiting  his  wing  upon 
earth,  opened  a foundation  to  the  seventh  layer,  and  the 
position  of  the  building  is  exactly  below  the  heavenly  Bait 
el  Maamur, — a Moslem  corruption  of  the  legends  concern- 
ing the  heavenly  and  the  earthly  Jerusalem.  Our  first 
father  compassed  it  as  he  had  seen  the  angels,  and  was  by 
them  taught  the  formula  of  prayer  and  the  number  of 
circuits. 

According  to  others,  again,  this  second  house  ivas  not 
erected  till  after  the  “ angelic  foundation”  was  destroyed 
by  time. 

3.  The  history  of  the  third  house  is  also  somewhat  con- 
fused. When  the  Bait  el  Maamur,  or,  as  others  say,  the 
tabernacle,  was  removed  to  heaven  after  Adam’s  death,  a 

* It  must  be  remembered  that  the  Moslems,  like  many  of  the  Jews, 
hold  that  Paradise  was  not  on  earth,  but  in  the  lowest  firmament,  which 
is,  as  it  were,  a reflection  of  earth. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  KAABAH. 


385 


stone-and-mud  building  was  placed  in  its  stead  by  his  son 
Shays  (Seth).  For  this  reason  it  is  respected  by  the 
Sabseans,  or  Christians  of  St.  John,  as  well  as  the  Moslems. 
This  Kaabah,  according  to  some,  was  destroyed  by  the 
deluge,  which  materially  altered  its  site.  Others  believe 
that  it  was  raised  to  heaven.  Others,  again,  declare  that 
only  the  pillars  supporting  the  heavenly  tabernacle  were 
allowed  to  remain.  Most  authorities  agree  in  asserting 
that  the  Black  Stone  was  stored  up  in  Abu  Kubays,  whence 
that  “ first  created  of  mountains”  is  called  El  Amin,  “ the 
Honest.” 

4.  Abraham  and  his  son  were  ordered  to  build  the 
fourth  house  upon  the  old  foundations : its  materials,  accord- 
ing to  some,  were  taken  from  the  five  hills  which  supplied 
the  second;  others  give  the  names  Ohob,  Kuds,  Warka, 
Sinai,  Hira,  and  a sixth,  Abu  Kubays.  There  was  no  roof; 
two  doors,  level  with  the  ground,  were  pierced  in  the 
eastern  and  western  walls ; and  inside,  on  the  right  hand, 
near  the  present  entrance,  a hole  for  treasure  was  dug. 
Gabriel  restored  the  Black  Stone,  which  Abraham,  by  his 
direction,  placed  in  its  present  corner,  as  a sign  where  cir- 
cumambulation  is  to  begin  ; and  the  patriarch  then  learned 
all  the  complicated  rites  of  pilgrimage.  When  this  house 
was  completed,  Abraham,  by  Allah’s  order,  ascended  J ebel 
Sabir,  and  called  the  world  to  visit  the  sanctified  spot ; and 
all  earth’s  sons  heard  him,  even  those  “ in  their  father’s 
loins  or  in  their  mother’s  womb,  from  that  day  unto  the 
day  of  resurrection.” 

5.  The  Amalikah  (descended  from  Imlik,  great-grand- 
son of  Sam,  son  of  Noah),  who  first  settled  near  Meccah, 
founded  the  fifth  house. 

6.  The  sixth  Kaabah  was  built  about  the  beginning  of 
the  Christian  era  by  the  Beni  Jurham,  the  children  of 
Kahtan,  fifth  descendant  from  Noah.  The  Jurham  in- 

17 


386  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

habited  the  higher  parts  of  Meccah,  especially  Jebel  Kaa- 
kaan,  so  called  from  their  clashing  arms;  whereas  the 
Amalikah  dwelt  in  the  lower  grounds,  which  obtained  the 
name  of  Jiyad,  from  their  generous  horses. 

7.  Kusay  bin  Kilab,  governor  of  Meccah  and  fifth  fore- 
father of  the  Prophet,  built  the  seventh  house,  according  to 
Abraham’s  plan.  He  roofed  it  over  with  palm  leaves, 
stocked  it  with  idols,  and  persuaded  his  tribe  to  settle  near 
the  Haram. 

8.  Kusay’s  house  was  burnt  down  by  a woman’s  censer, 
which  accidentally  set  fire  to  the  Kiswat,  or  covering,  and 
the  walls  were  destroyed  by  a torrent.  A merchant-ship 
belonging  to  a Greek  trader,  being  wrecked  at  Jeddah, 
afforded  material  for  the  roof,  and  the  crew  were  employed 
as  masons.  In  digging  the  foundation  they  came  to  a green 
stone,  like  a camel’s  hunch,  which,  struck  with  a pickaxe, 
sent  forth  blinding  lightning,  and  prevented  further  exca- 
vation. 

When  the  eighth  house  was  being  built  Mohammed  was 
in  his  twenty-fifth  year.  His  surname  of  El  Amin,  the 
Honest,  probably  induced  the  tribes  to  make  him  their 
umpire  for  the  decision  of  a dispute  about  the  position  of 
the  Black  Stone,  and  who  should  have  the  honor  of  raising 
it  to  its  place.  He  decided  for  the  corner  chosen  by  Abra- 
ham, and  distributed  the  “ Kudos”  amongst  the  clans. 

9.  Abdullah  bin  Zubayr,  nephew  of  Ayisha,  re-built  the 
Kaabah  in  a.  h.  64.  It  had  been  weakened  by  fire,  which 
burnt  the  covering,  besides  splitting  the  Black  Stone  into 
three  pieces.  Abdullah,  hoping  to  fulfil  a prophecy,*  and 
seeing  that  the  people  of  Meccah  fled  in  alarm,  pulled  down 

* As  will  afterwards  be  mentioned,  almost  every  Meccan  knows  the 
prophecy  of  Mohammed  that  the  birthplace  of  his  fate  will  be  destroyed 
by  an  army  from  Abyssinia. 


HISTORY  OF  THE  IvAABAH, 


387 


the  building  by  means  of  “ thin-calved  Abyssinian  slaves 
and  when  they  came  to  Abraham’s  foundation  he  saw  that 
it  included  El  Hijr,  which  part  the  Kuraysh  had  been  unable 
to  build.  The  building  was  made  of  cut  stone  and  fine  lime 
brought  from  Yemen.  During  the  building,  a curtain  was 
stretched  round  the  walls,  and  pilgrims  compassed  them 
outside.  When  finished,  it  was  perfumed  inside  and  outside, 
and  invested  with  brocade.  Then  Abdullah  and  all  the  citi- 
zens went  forth  to  Tanim  in  procession,  returned  to  perform 
Umrah,  slew  100  victims,  and  rejoiced  with  great  festi- 
vities. 

The  Caliph  Abd  el  Malik  bin  Marwan  besieged  Abdullah 
bin  Zubayr,  who,  after  a brave  defence,  was  slain.  In  a.  h. 
74  Hajjaj  bin  Yusuf,  general  of  Abd  el  Malik’s  troops,  wrote 
to  the  prince,  informing  him  that  Abdullah  had  made  unau- 
thorised additions  to  and  changes  in  the  Haram : the  reply 
brought  an  order  to  rebuild  the  house.  He  gave  the  house 
a double  roof,  closed  the  western  door,  and  raised  the  east- 
ern four  cubits  and  a span  above  the  Mataf,  or  circuit,  which 
he  paved  over.  The  Haram  was  enlarged  and  beautified  by 
the  Abbasides,  especially  by  el  Mehdi,  El  Mutamid,  and  El 
Mutazid.  Some  authors  reckon,  as  an  eleventh  house,  the 
repairs  made  by  Sultan  Murad  Khan.  On  the  night  of  Tues- 
day 20th  Shaaban,  a.  h.  1030,  a violent  torrent  swept  the 
Haram;  it  rose  one  cubit  above  the  threshold  of  the  Kaabah, 
carried  away  the  lamp-posts  and  the  Makam  Ibrahim,  all  the 
northern  wall  of  the  house,  half  of  the  eastern,  and  one-third 
of  the  western  side.  It  subsided  on  W ednesday  night.  The 
repairs  were  not  finished  till  a.  h.  1040.  The  greater  part, 
however,  of  the  building  dates  from  the  time  of  El  Hajjaj  ; 
and  Moslems,  who  never  mention  his  name  without  a curse, 
knowingly  circumambulate  his  work. 

The  present  proofs  of  the  Kaabah’s  sanctity,  as  adduced 
by  the  learned,  are  puerile  enough^  but  curious.  The  Ulema 


3 88  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINA!!  AND  MECCAH. 

have  made  much  of  the  verselet : “ V erily  the  first  house 
built  for  mankind  (to  worship  in)  is  that  in  Beccah  (Meccah), 
blessed  and  a salvation  to  the  three  worlds.  Therein  (fihi) 
are  manifest  signs,  the  standing-place  of  Abraham,  which 
whoso  enter eth  shall  be  safe,”  (Kor.  ch.  3.)  The  word 
“ therein”  is  interpreted  to  mean  Meccah,  and  the  “ mani- 
fest signs”  the  Kaabah,  which  contains  such  marvels  as  the 
foot-prints  on  Abraham’s  platform  and  the  spiritual  safe- 
guard of  all  who  enter  the  Sanctuary.  The  other  “ signs,” 
historical,  psychical,  and  physical,  are  briefly  these : The 
preservation  of  the  Hajar  el  Aswad  and  the  Makam  Ibrahim 
from  many  foes,  and  the  miracles  put  forth  (as  in  the  War 
of  the  Elephant),  to  defend  the  house;  the  violent  and  ter- 
rible deaths  of  the  sacrilegious ; and  the  fact  that,  in  the 
Deluge,  the  large  fish  did  not  eat  the  little  fish  in  the  Haram. 
A wonderful  desire  and  love  impel  men  from  distant  regions 
to  visit  the  holy  spot,  and  the  first  sight  of  the  Kaabah 
causes  awe  and  fear,  horripilation  and  tears.  Furthermore, 
ravenous  beasts  will  not  destroy  their  prey  in  the  Sanctuary 
land,  and  the  pigeons  and  other  birds  never  perch  upon  the 
house,  except  to  be  cured  of  sickness,  for  fear  of  defiling  the 
roof.  The  Kaabah,  though  small,  can  contain  any  number 
of  devotees  ; no  one  is  ever  hurt  in  it,*  and  invalids  recover 
their  health  by  rubbing  themselves  against  the  Kiswah  and 
the  Black  Stone.  Finally,  it  is  observed  that  every  day 
100,000  mercies  descend  upon  the  house,  and  especially  that 
if  rain  come  up  from  the  northern  corner  there  is  plenty  in 
Irak ; if  from  the  south,  there  is  plenty  in  Yemen ; if  from 
the  east,  plenty  in  India ; if  from  the  western,  there  is  plenty 
in  Syria ; and  if  from  all  four  angles,  general  plenty  is  pre- 
signified. 

* This  is  an  audacious  falsehood ; the  Kaabah  is  scarcely  ever  opened 
without  some  accident  happening. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

THE  FIRST  VISIT  TO  THE  HOUSE  OF  ALLAH. 

Scarcely  had  the  first  smile  of  morning  beamed  upon  the 
rugged  head  of  Abu  Kubays  * when  we  arose,  bathed,  and 
proceeded  in  our  pilgrim  garb  to  the  Sanctuary.  We  en- 
tered by  the  Bab  el  Ziyadah,  or  principal  northern  door, 
descended  two  long  flights  of  steps,  traversed  the  cloister, 
and  stood  in  sight  of  the  Bait  Allah. 

There  at  last  it  lay,  the  bourn  of  my  long  and  weary 
pilgrimage,  realizing  the  plans  and  hopes  of  many  and  many 
a year.  The  mirage  medium  of  Fancy  invested  the  huge 

* This  hill  bounds  Meccah  on  the  east.  According  to  many  Moslems, 
Adam,  with  his  wife  and  his  son  Seth,  lie  buried  in  a cave  here. 
Others  place  his  tomb  at  Muna;  the  majority  at  Najaf.  The  early 
Christians  had  a tradition  that  our  first  parents  were  interred  under 
Mount  Calvary ; the  Jews  place  their  grave  near  Hebron.  Habil  (Abel), 
it  is  well  known,  is  supposed  to  be  entombed  at  Damascus ! and  Kabil 
(Cain)  rests  at  last  under  Jebel  Shamsan,  the  highest  wall  of  the  Aden 
crater,  where  he  and  his  progeny,  tempted  by  Iblis,  erected  the  first 
fire-temple.  It  certainly  deserves  to  be  the  sepulchre  of  the  first  mur- 
derer. The  worship,  however,  was  probably  imported  from  India,  where 
Agni  (the  fire  god)  was,  as  the  Yedas  prove,  the  object  of  man’s  earliest 
adoration. 


390  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAII  AND  MECCAH. 

catafalque  and  its  gloomy  pall  with  peculiar  charms.  There 
were  no  giant  fragments  of  hoar  antiquity  as  in  Egypt,  no 
remains  of  graceful  and  harmonious  beauty  as  in  Greece  and 
Italy,  no  barbaric  gorgeousness  as  in  the  buildings  of  India ; 
yet  the  view  was  strange,  unique,  and  how  few  have  looked 
upon  the  celebrated  shrine!  I may  truly  say  that,  of  all 
the  worshippers  who  clung  weeping  to  the  curtain,  or  who 
pressed  their  beating  hearts  to  the  stone,  none  felt  for  the 
moment  a deeper  emotion  than  did  the  Haji  from  the  far 
north.  It  was  as  if  the  poetical  legend  of  the  Arab  spoke 
truth,  and  that  waving  wings  of  angels,  not  the  sweet 
breeze  of  morning,  were  agitating  and  swelling  the  black 
coverings  of  the  shrine.  But,  to  confess  humbling  truth, 
theirs  was  the  high  feeling  of  religious  enthusiasm,  mine  was 
the  ecstasy  of  gratified  pride. 

Few  Moslems  contemplate  for  the  first  time  the  Kaabah 
without  fear  and  awe  ; there  is  a popular  jest  against  new 
comers,  that  they  generally  inquire  the  direction  of  prayer.* 
The  boy  Mohammed  therefore  left  me  for  a few  minutes  to 
myself,  but  presently  he  warned  me  that  it  was  time  to  be- 
gin. Advancing,  we  entered  through  the  Bab  Beni  Shay- 
bah,  the  “Gate  of  the  Sons  of  the  Old  Woman.”f  There 
we  raised  our  hands,  repeated  the  Labbayk,  the  Takhir, 
and  the  Tahlil ; after  which  we  uttered  certain  supplications, 

* This  being  the  Kiblah,  or  fronting  place,  Moslems  can  pray  all 
around  it;  a circumstance  which  of  course  cannot  take  place  in  any 
spot  of  El  Islam  but  the  Haram. 

f The  popular  legend  of  this  gate  is,  that  when  Abraham  and  his 
son  were  ordered  to  rebuild  the  Kaabah,  they  found  the  spot  occupied 
by  an  old  woman.  She  consented  to  remove  her  house  on  condition 
that  the  key  of  the  new  temple  should  be  entrusted  to  her  and  to  her 
descendants  for  ever  and  ever.  The  origin  of  this  is,  that  Beni  Shaybah 
means  the  “ sons  of  an  old  woman  ” as  well  as  “ descendants  of  Shay- 
bah.” According  to  others,  the  Kaabah  key  was  committed  to  the  charge 
of  Usman  bin  Talhah  by  the  Prophet. 


THE  PILGRIM  APPROACHES  “ THE  ” STONE. 


391 


and  drew  our  hands  down  our  faces.  Then  we  proceeded 
to  the  Shafei’s  place  of  prayer — the  open  pavement  between 
the  Makam  Ibrahim  and  the  well  Zem  Zem, — where  we 
performed  the  usual  two  prostrations  in  honor  of  the  mos- 
que. This  was  followed  by  a cup  of  holy  water*  and  a 
present  to  the  Sakkas,  or  carriers,  who  for  the  consideration 
distributed  a large  earthen  vaseful  in  my  name  to  poor 
pilgrims.  We  then  advanced  towards  the  eastern  angle  of 
the  Kaabah,  in  which  is  inserted  the  Black  Stone,  and 
standing  about  ten  yards  from  it,  repeated  with  upraised 
hands,  “ There  is  no  god  but  Allah  alone,  whose  covenant 
is  truth,  and  whose  servant  is  victorious.  There  is  no  god 
but  Allah,  without  sharer,  his  is  the  kingdom ; to  him  be 
praise,  and  he  over  all  things  is  potent.”  After  which  we 
approached  as  close  as  we  could  to  the  stone.  A crowd  of 

* The  word  Zem  Zem  has  a doubtful  origin.  Some  derive  it  from 
Zam  Zam,  or  murmuring  of  its  waters,  others  from  Zam ! Zam ! (fill ! 
fill!  i.  e.  the  bottle),  Hagar’s  exclamation  when  she  saw  the  stream. 
Sale  translates  it  stay ! stay ! and  says,  that  Hagar  called  out  in  the 
Egyptian  language,  to  prevent  her  son  wandering. 

The  produce  of  Zem  Zem  is  held  in  great  esteem.  It  is  used  for 
drinking  and  ablution,  but  for  no  baser  purposes;  and  the  Meccans 
advise  pilgrims  always  to  break  their  fast  with  it.  It  is  apt  to  cause 
diarrhoea  and  boils,  and  I never  saw  a stranger  drink  it  without  a wry 
face.  Sale  is  decidedly  correct  in  his  assertion ; the  flavor  is  a salt-bit- 
ter, much  resembling  an  infusion  of  a tea- spoonful  of  Epsom  salts  in 
a large  tumbler  of  tepid  water.  Moreover  it  is  exceedingly  “ heavy  ” 
to  the  taste.  For  this  reason  Turks  and  other  strangers  prefer  rain-water 
collected  in  cisterns  and  sold  for  five  farthings  a gugglet  It  was  a 
favorite  amusement  with  me  to  watch  them  whilst  they  drank  the  holy 
water,  and  to  taunt  their  scant  irreverent  potations. 

The  water  is  transmitted  to  distant  regions  in  glazed  earthen  jars 
covered  with  basket  work,  and  sealed  by  the  Zem  Zemis.  Religious 
men  break  their  lenten  fast  with  it,  apply  it  to  their  eyes  to  brighten 
vision,  and  imbibe  a few  drops  at  the  hour  of  death,  when  Satan 
stands  by  holding  a bowl  of  purest  water,  the  price  of  the  departing  soul. 


392  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAII  AND  MECCAH. 

pilgrims  preventing  our  touching  it  that  time,  we  raised  our 
hands  to  our  ears  in  the  first  position  of  prayer,  and  then 
lowering  them,  exclaimed,  “ O Allah  (I  do  this),  in  thy  be- 
lief, and  in  verification  of  thy  book,  and  in  pursuance  of 
thy  Prophet’s  example — may  Allah  bless  him  and  preserve ! 
O Allah,  I extend  my  hand  to  thee,  and  great  is  my  desire 
to  thee ! O accept  thou  my  supplication,  and  diminish  my 
obstacles,  and  pity  my  humiliation,  and  graciously  grant  me 
thy  pardon.”  After  which,  as  we  were  still  unable  to  reach 
the  stone,  we  raised  our  hands  to  our  ears,  the  palms  facing 
the  stone,  as  if  touching  it,  recited  the  Takbir,  the  Tahlil, 
and  the  Hamdilah,  blessed  the  Prophet,  and  kissed  the 
finger-tips  of  the  right  hand. 

Then  commenced  the  ceremony  of  “ Tawaf,”  or  circum- 
ambulation,  our  route  being  the  “ Mataf,”  or  low  oval  of 
polished  granite  immediately  surrounding  the  Kaabah.  I 
repeated,  after  my  Mutawwif,  or  cicerone,*  the  Niyat  of 
Tawaf.  Then  we  began  the  prayer,  “ O Allah  (I  do  this), 
in  thy  belief,  and  in  verification  of  thy  book,  and  in  faithful- 
ness to  thy  covenant,  and  in  pursuance  of  the  example 
of  the  Prophet  Mohammed — may  Allah  bless  him  and  pre- 
serve ! ” till  we  reached  the  place  El  Multazem,  between 
the  corner  of  the  Black  Stone  and  the  Kaabah  door.  Here 
we  ejaculated  “ O Allah,  thou  hast  rights,  so  pardon  my 
transgressing  them.”  Opposite  the  door  we  repeated,  u O 
Allah,  verily  the  house  is  thy  house,  and  the  Sanctuary  thy 
Sanctuary,  and  the  safeguard  thy  safeguard,  and  this  is  the 
place  of  him  who  flies  to  thee  from  (hell)  fire  ! ” At  the  little 
building  called  Makam  Ibrahim  we  said,  “ O Allah,  verily 
this  is  the  place  of  Abraham,  who  took  refuge  with  and  fled 
to  thee  from  the  fire ! — O deny  my  flesh  and  blood,  my  skin 
and  bones  to  the  (eternal)  flames  ! ” As  we  paced  slowly 


* The  Mutawwif,  or  Dalil,  is  the  guide  at  Meccah. 


THE  “tawaf,”  or  circumambulation.  393 

round  the  north  or  Irak  corner  of  the  Kaabah  we  exclaimed, 
u O Allah,  verily  I take  refuge  with  thee  from  polytheism 
and  disobedience,  hypocrisy  and  evil  conversation,  and 
evil  thoughts  concerning  family,  and  property,  and  pro- 
geny ! ” When  fronting  the  Mizab,  or  spout,  we  repeated 
the  words,  “ O Allah,  verily  I beg  of  thee  faith  which  shall 
not  decline  and  a certainty  which  shall  not  perish,  and  the 
good  aid  of  thy  Prophet  Mohammed — may  Allah  bless  him 
and  preserve ! O Allah,  shadow  me  in  thy  shadow  on  that 
day  when  there  is  no  shade  but  thy  shadow,  and  cause  me 
to  drink  from  the  cup  of  thy  Prophet  Mohammed — may 
Allah,”  &c. ! — “ that  pleasant  draught  after  which  is  no 
thirst  to  all  eternity,  O Lord  of  honor  and  glory  ! ” Turn- 
ing the  west  corner,  or  the  Rukn  el  Shami,  we  exclaimed, 
“ O Allah,  make  it  an  acceptable  pilgrimage,  and  a forgive- 
ness of  sins,  and  laudable  endeavor,  and  a pleasant  action 
(in  thy  sight),  and  a store  which  perisheth  not,  O thou 
glorious ! O thou  pardoner ! ” This  was  repeated  thrice, 
till  we  arrived  at  the  Yemani,  or  southern  corner,  where, 
the  crowd  being  less  importunate,  we  touched  the  wall  with 
the  right  hand,  after  the  example  of  the  Prophet,  and 
kissed  the  finger-tips.  Between  the  south  angle  and  that 
of  the  Black  Stone,  where  our  circuit  would  be  completed, 
we  said,  “ O Allah,  verily  I take  refuge  with  thee  from  infi- 
delity, and  I take  refuge  with  thee  from  want,  and  from  the 
tortures  of  the  tomb,  and  from  the  troubles  of  life  and 
death.  And  I fly  to  thee  from  ignominy  in  this  world  and 
the  next,  and  implore  thy  pardon  for  the  present  and  for 
the  future.  O Lord,  grant  to  me  in  this  life  prosperity,  and 
in  the  next  life  prosperity,  and  save  me  from  punishment 
of  fire.” 

Thus  finished  a Shaut,  or  single  course  round  the  house. 
Of  these  we  performed  the  three  first  at  ike  pace  called 
Harwalah,  very  similar  to  the  French  “pas  gymnastique 

m 


394  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINA!!  AND  MECCAH. 

or  Tarammul,  that  is  to  say,  44  moving  the  shoulders  as  if 
walking  in  sand.”  The  four  latter  are  performed  in  Taam- 
mul,  slowly  and  leisurely ; the  reverse  of  the  Sai,  or  run-  * 
ning.  The  Moslem  origin  of  this  custom  is  too  well  known 
to  require  mention.  After  each  Taufah,  or  circuit,  we 
being  unable  to  kiss  or  even  to  touch  the  Black  Stone, 
fronted  towards  it,  raised  our  hands  to  our  ears,  exclaimed 
“In  the  name  of  Allah,  and  Allah  is  omnipotent!”  kissed 
our  fingers,  and  resumed  the  ceremony  of  circumambula- 
tion,  as  before,  with  44  Allah,  in  thy  belief,”  &c. ! 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  Tawaf  it  was  deemed  advisable 
to  attempt  to  kiss  the  stone.  For  a time  I stood  looking 
in  despair  at  the  swarming  crowd  of  Bedouin  and  other 
pilgrims  that  besieged  it.  But  the  boy  Mohammed  was 
equal  to  the  occasion.  During  our  circuit  he  had  displayed 
a fiery  zeal  against  heresy  and  schism,  by  foully  abusing 
every  Persian  in  his  path ; * and  the  inopportune  intro- 
duction of  hard  words  into  his  prayers  made  the  latter 
a strange  patchwork  ; as  44  Ave  Maria  purissima — arrah, 
don’t  ye  be  letting  the  pig  at  the  pot — sanctissima,”  and  so 
forth.  He  might,  for  instance,  be  repeating  u and  I take 
refuge  with  thee  from  ignominy  in  this  world,”  when  44  O 
thou  rejected  one,  son  of  the  rejected!”  would  be  the 
interpolation  addressed  to  some  long-bearded  Khorasani,- — 

44  and  in  that  to  come — O hog  and  brother  of  a hoggess !” 
And  so  he  continued  till  I wondered  that  no  one  dared  to 

* In  a.d.  16*7 4,  some  wretch  smeared  the  Black  Stone  with  impurity, 
and  every  one  who  kissed  it  retired  with  a sullied  beard.  The  Persians, 
says  Burckhardt,  were  suspected  of  this  sacrilege,  and  now  their  ill- 
fame  has  spread  far ; at  Alexandria  they  were  described  to  me  as  a peo- 
ple who  defile  the  Kaabah.  It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say,  that  a 
Shiah  as  well  as  a Sunni  would  look  upon  such  an  action  with  lively 
horror.  The  defilement  of  the  Black  Stone  was  probably  the  work  ol 
some  Jew  or  Greek,  who  risked  his  life  to  gratify  a furious  bigotry. 


KISSING  THE  STONE. 


395 


turn  and  rend  him.  After  vainly  addressing  the  pilgrims, 
of  whom  nothing  could  be  seen  but  a mosaic  of  occiputs 
and  shoulder-blades,  the  boy  Mohammed  collected  about 
half  a dozen  stalwart  Meccans,  with  whose  assistance,  by 
sheer  strength,  we  wedged  our  way  into  the  thin  and  light- 
legged  crowd.  The  Bedouins  turned  round  upon  us  like 
wild  cats,  but  they  had  no  daggers.  The  season  being 
autumn,  they  had  not  swelled  themselves  with  milk  for  six 
months  ; and  they  had  become  such  living  mummies,  that 
I could  have  managed  single-handed  half  a dozen  of  them. 
After  thus  reaching  the  stone,  despite  popular  indignation, 
testified  by  impatient  shouts,  we  monopolised  the  use  of  it 
for  at  least  ten  minutes.  Whilst  kissing  it  and  rubbing 
hands  and  forehead  upon  it  I narrowly  observed  it,  and 
came  away  persuaded  that  it  is  a big  aerolite.* 

Having  kissed  the  stone,  we  fought  our  way  through 
the  crowd  to  the  place  called  El  Multazem. 

After  embracing  the  Multazem  we  repaired  to  the 
Shafei’s  place  of  prayer  near  the  Makam  Ibrahim,  and  there 
recited  two  prostrations,  technically  called  “ Sunnat  el 
Tawaf,”  or  the  (Prophet’s)  practice  of  circumambulation. 
The  chapter  repeated  in  the  first  was  “ Say  thou,  O ye  infi- 
delsin  the  second,  “ Say  thou  he  is  the  one  God.”  We 
then  went  to  the  door  of  the  building  in  which  is  Zem  Zem  : 
there  I was  condemned  to  another  nauseous  draught,  and 
was  deluged  with  two  or  three  skinfuls  of  wTater  dashed 

* It  is  curious  that  almost  all  travellers  agree  upon  one  point, 
namely,  that  the  stone  is  volcanic.  Ali  Bey  calls  it  mineralogically” 
a “ block  of  volcanic  basalt,  whose  circumference  is  sprinkled  with 
little  crystals,  pointed  and  straw-like,  with  rhombs  of  tile-red  feldspath 
upon  a dark  background,  like  velvet  or  charcoal,  except  one  of  its  pro- 
tuberances, which  is  reddish.”  Burckhardt  thought  it  was  “ a lava  con- 
taining several  small  extraneous  particles  of  a whitish  and  of  a yellow- 
ish substance.” 


396  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

over  my  head  en  douche . This  ablution  causes  sins  to 
fall  from  the  spirit  like  dust.*  During  the  potation  we 
prayed,  “ O Allah,  verily  I beg  of  thee  plentiful  daily 
bread,  and  profitable  learning,  and  the  healing  of  every 
disease ! ” Then  we  returned  towards  the  Black  Stone, 
stood  far  away  opposite,  because  unable  to  touch  it,  ejacu- 
lated the  Tekbir,  the  Tahlil,  and  the  Hamdilah,  and  tho- 
roughly worn  out,  with  scorched  feet  and  a burning  head — 
both  extremities,  it  must  be  remembered,  were  bare,  and 
various  delays  had  detained  us  till  ten  a.  m. — I left  the 
mosque. 

In  the  evening,  accompanied  by  the  boy  Mohammed, 
and  followed  by  Shaykh  Nur,  who  carried  a lantern  and 
a praying-rug,  I again  repaired  to  the  “Navel  of  the 
World  ;”f  this  time  aesthetically  to  enjoy  the  delights  of 
the  hour  after  the  u gaudy,  babbling,  and  remorseful  day.” 
The  moon,  now  approaching  the  full,  tipped  the  brow  of 
Abu  Kubays,  and  lit  up  the  spectacle  with  a more  solemn 
light.  In  the  midst  stood  the  huge  bier-like  erection, — 

“ Black  as  the  wings 

Which  some  spirit  of  ill  o’er  a sepulchre  flings,” — 

except  where  the  moonbeams  streaked  it  like  jets  of  silver 
falling  upon  the  darkest  marble.  It  formed  the  point  of 
rest  for  the  eye ; the  little  pagoda-like  buildings  and  domes 
around  it,  with  all  their  gilding  and  fretwork,  vanished. 
One  object,  unique  in  appearance,  stood  in  view — the 

* These  superstitions,  I must  remark  in  fairness,  belong  only  to  the 
vulgar. 

j Ibn  Haukal  begins  his  cosmography  with  Meccah  “ because  the 
temple  of  the  Lord  is  situated  there,  and  the  holy  Kaabah  is  the  navel 
of  the  earth,  and  Meccah  is  styled  in  sacred  writ  the  parent  city,  or  the 
mother  of  towns.”  Unfortunately,  Ibn  Haukal,  like  most  other  Moham- 
medan travellers  and  geographers,  says  no  more  about  Meccah. 


A MOTLEY  CROWD. 


397 


temple  of  the  one  Allah,  the  God  of  Abraham,  of  Ishmael, 
and  his  posterity.  Sublime  it  was,  and  expressing  by  all 
the  eloquence  of  fancy  the  grandeur  of  the  One  Idea 
which  vitalised  El  Islam,  and  the  sternness  and  stead- 
fastness of  its  votaries. 

The  oval  pavement  around  the  Kaabah  was  crowded 
with  men,  women,  and  children,  mostly  divided  into  par- 
ties, which  followed  a Mutawwif;  some  walking  steadily, 
and  others  running,  whilst  many  stood  in  groups  to  prayer. 
What  a scene  of  contrast!  Here  stalked  the  Bedouin 
woman,  in  her  long  black  robe  like  a nun’s  serge,  and 
poppy-colored  face-veil,  pierced  to  show  two  fiercely  flash- 
ing orbs.  There  an  Indian  woman,  with  her  semi-Tartar 
features,  nakedly  hideous,  and  her  thin  parenthetical  legs, 
encased  in  wrinkled  tights,  hurried  round  the  fane.  Every 
now  and  then  a corpse,  borne  upon  its  wooden  shell,  cir- 
cuited the  shrine  by  means  of  four  bearers,  whom  other 
Moslems,  as  is  the  custom,  occasionally  relieved.  A few 
fair-skinned  Turks  lounged  about,  looking  cold  and  repul- 
sive, as  their  wont  is.  In  one  place  a fast  Calcutta 
“ Khitmugar”  stood,  with  turban  awry  and  arms  akimbo, 
contemplating  the  view  jauntily,  as  those  gentlemen’s  gen- 
tlemen will  do.  In  another,  some  poor  wretch,  with  arms 
thrown  on  high,  so  that  every  part  of  his  person  might 
touch  the  Kaabah,  was  clinging  to  the  curtain  and  sobbing 
as  though  his  heart  would  break. 

From  this  spectacle  my  eyes  turned  towards  Abu 
Kubays.  The  city  extends  in  that  direction  half  way  up 
the  grim  hill.  Some  writers  liken  it  to  Florence  ; but  con- 
ceive a Florence  without  beauty!  To  the  south  lay  Jebel 
Jiyad  the  greater,  also  partly  built  over  and  crowned  with  a 
fort,  which  at  a distance  looks  less  useful  than  romantic : a 
flood  of  pale  light  was  sparkling  upon  its  stony  surface. 
Below,  the  minarets  became  pillars  of  silver,  and  the  clois- 


398  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

ters  dimly  streaked  by  oil  lamps,  bounded  the  view  of  the 
temple  with  horizontal  lines  of  shade. 

Before  nightfall  the  boy  Mohammed  rose  to  feed  the 
pigeons,*  for  whom  he  had  brought  a pocketful  of  barley. 
He  went  to  the  place  where  these  birds  flock ; the  line  of 
pavement  leading  from  the  isolated  arch  to  the  eastern 
cloisters.  During  the  day  women  and  children  are  to  be 
seen  sitting  here,  with  small  piles  of  grain  upon  little  plaited 
trays  of  basket-work.  For  each  they  demand  a copper 
piece ; and  religious  pilgrims  consider  it  their  duty  to  pro- 
vide the  revered  blue  rooks  with  a plentiful  meal. 

Late  in  the  evening  I saw  a negro  in  the  state  called 
Malbus — religious  phrenzy.  To  all  appearance  a Takruri, 
he  was  a fine  and  powerful  man,  as  the  numbers  required 
to  hold  him  testified.  He  threw  his  arms  widely  about 
him,  uttering  shrill  cries,  which  sounded  like  le!  le!  le!  le! 
and  when  held,  he  swayed  his  body,  and  waved  his  head 
from  side  to  side,  like  a chained  and  furious  elephant, 
straining  out  the  deepest  groans.  The  Africans  appear 
unusually  subject  to  this  nervous  state,  which,  seen  by  the 
ignorant,  and  the  imagination  would  at  once  suggest  a 
“ demoniacal  possession.”  f Either  their  organisation  is  more 
impressionable,  or  more  probably  the  hardships,  privations, 

* The  Moslems  connect  the  pigeon  on  two  occasions  with  their  faith ; 
first,  when  that  bird  appeared  to  whisper  in  Mohammed’s  ear,  and, 
secondly,  during  the  flight  to  El  Medinah.  Moreover,  in  many  coun- 
tries they  are  called  “Allah’s  proclaimers,”  because  their  movement 
when  cooing  resembles  prostration. 

At  Meccah  they  are  called  the  doves  of  the  Kaabah,  and  never 
appear  at  table.  They  are  remarkable  for  propriety  when  sitting  upon 
the  holy  building.  This  may  be  a minor  miracle : I would  rather 
believe  that  there  is  some  contrivance  on  the  roof. 

f In  the  Mandal,  or  palm-divination,  a black  slave  is  considered  the 
best  subject.  European  travellers  have  frequently  remarked  their  ner- 
vous sensibility. 


MEASURING  THE  KAABAH. 


399 


and  fatigues  endured  whilst  wearily  traversing  inhospitable 
wilds  and  perilous  seas,  have  exalted  their  imaginations  to  a 
pitch  bordering  upon  frenzy.  Often  they  are  seen  prostrate 
on  the  pavement,  or  clinging  to  the  curtain,  or  rubbing 
their  foreheads  upon  the  stones,  weeping  bitterly,  and 
pouring  forth  the  wildest  ejaculations. 

That  night  I stayed  in  the  Haram  till  2 a.  m.,  wishing  to 
see  if  it  would  be  empty.  But  the  morrow  was  to  witness 
the  egress  to  Arafat ; many,  therefore,  passed  the  hours  of 
darkness  in  the  Haram.  Numerous  parties  of  pilgrims  sat 
upon  their  rugs,  with  lanterns  in  front  of  them,  conversing, 
praying,  and  contemplating  the  Kaabah.  The  cloisters 
were  full  of  merchants,  who  resorted  there  to  “ talk  shop  ” 
and  vend  such  holy  goods  as  combs,  tooth-sticks,  and 
rosaries.  Before  10  p.  m.  I found  no  opportunity  of  pray- 
ing the  usual  two  prostrations  over  the  grave  of  Ishmael. 
After  waiting  long  and  patiently,  at  last  I was  stepping  into 
the  vacant  place,  when  another  pilgrim  rushed  forward ; the 
boy  Mohammed,  assisted  by  me,  instantly  seized  him,  and, 
despite  his  cries  and  struggles,  taught  him  to  wait.  Till 
midnight  we  sat  chatting  with  the  different  ciceroni,  who 
came  up  to  offer  their  services.  I could  not  help  remarking 
their  shabby  and  dirty  clothes,  and  was  informed  that, 
during  pilgrimage,  when  splendor  is  liable  to  be  spoiled, 
they  wear  out  old  dresses,  and  appear  endimanches  for  the 
Muharram  fete,  when  most  travellers  have  left  the  city. 
Presently,  my  two  companions,  exhausted  with  fatigue,  fell 
asleep ; I went  up  to  the  Kaabah,  with  the  intention  of 
u obtaining”  a bit  of  the  torn,  old  Kiswat  or  curtain,  but 
too  many  eyes  were  looking  on.*  The  opportunity,  how- 

* At  this  season  of  the  year  the  Kiswat  is  much  tattered  at  the  base, 
partly  by  pilgrims’  fingers,  and  partly  by  the  strain  of  the  cord  which 
confines  it  when  the  wind  is  blowing.  It  is  considered  a mere  peccadillo 
to  purloin  a bit  of  the  venerable  stuff : but  as  the  officers  of  the  temple 


400  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

ever,  was  favorable  for  a survey,  and  with  a piece  of  tape, 
and  the  simple  processes  of  stepping  and  spanning,  I man- 
aged to  measure  all  the  objects  concerning  which  I was 
curious. 

At  last  sleep  began  to  weigh  heavily  upon  my  eyelids. 
I awoke  my  companions,  and  in  the  dizziness  of  slumber 
they  walked  with  me  through  the  tall,  narrow  street,  to 
our  home  in  the  Shamiyah.  The  brilliant  moonshine  pre- 
vented our  complaining,  as  other  travellers  have  had  reason 
to  do,  of  the  darkness  and  the  difficulty  of  Meccah’s  streets. 
The  town,  too,  appeared  safe;  there  were  no  watchmen, 
and  yet  people  slept  everywhere  upon  cots  placed  opposite 
their  open  doors.  Arrived  at  the  house,  we  made  some 
brief  preparations  for  snatching  a few  hours’  sleep  upon  the 
Mastabah — a place  so  stilling,  that  nothing  but  utter  ex- 
haustion could  induce  lethargy  there. 

make  money  by  selling  it,  they  certainly  would  visit  detection  with  an 
unmerciful  application  of  the  quarter-staff.  The  piece  in  my  possession 
was  given  to  me  by  the  boy  Mohammed  before  I left  Meccah.  Waist- 
coats made  of  the  Kiswat  still  make  the  combatant  invulnerable  in 
battle,  and  are  considered  presents  fit  for  princes.  The  Moslems 
generally  try  to  secure  a strip  of  this  cloth  as  a mark  for  the  Koran, 
<fcc.,  <fcc. 


CHAPTER  XXYI. 


OF  HAJJ,  OR  PILGRIMAGE. 

The  word  Hajj  is  explained  by  Moslem  divines  to  mean 
“ Kasd,”  or  aspiration,  and  to  express  man’s  sentiment  that 
he  is  but  a wayfarer  on  earth  wending  towards  another  and 
a nobler  world.  This  explains  the  origin  and  the  belief 
that  the  greater  the  hardships  the  higher  will  be  the  reward 
of  the  pious  wanderer.  He  is  urged  by  the  voice  of  his 
soul : “ O thou  who  toilest  so  hard  for  worldly  pleasures 
and  perishable  profit,  wilt  thou  endure  nothing  to  win  a 
more  lasting  reward  ?”  Hence  it  is  that  pilgrimage  is  com- 
mon to  all  old  faiths.  The  Hindus  still  wander  to  Egypt, 
to  Tibet,  and  to  the  inhospitable  Caucasus ; the  classic 
philosophers  visited  Egypt;  the  Jews  annually  flocked  to 
Jerusalem;  and  the  Tartars  and  Mongols — Buddhists — 
journey  to  distant  Lamaserais. 

Every  Moslem  is  bound,  under  certain  conditions,*  to 

* The  two  extremes,  between  which  lie  many  gradations,  are  these : 
Abu  Hanifah  directs  every  Moslem  and  Moslemah  to  perform  the  pil- 
grimage if  they  have  health  and  money  for  the  road  and  the  support  of 
their  families ; moreover,  he  allows  a deputy-pilgrim,  whose  expenses 
must  be  paid  by  the  principal.  Ibn  Malik,  on  the  contrary,  enjoins 


402  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

pay  at  least  one  visit  to  the  Holy  City.  This  constitutes 
the  Hajjat  el  Farz  (the  one  obligatory  pilgrimage),  or  Haj- 
jat  el  Islam,  of  the  Mohammedan  faith.  Repetitions  be- 
come mere  Sunnats,  or  practices  of  the  Prophet,  and  are 
therefore  supererogatory.  Some  European  writers  have  of 
late  years  labored  to  represent  the  Meccan  pilgrimage  as  a 
fair,  a pretext  to  collect  merchants  and  to  afford  Arabia 
the  benefits  of  purchase  and  barter.  It  would  be  vain  to 
speculate  whether  the  secular  or  the  spiritual  element  ori- 
ginally prevailed;  most  probably  each  had  its  portion. 
But  those  who  peruse  this  volume  will  see  that,  despite  the 
comparatively  lukewarm  piety  of  the  age,  the  Meccan  pil- 
grimage is  religious  essentially,  accidentally  an  affair  of 
commerce. 

Moslem  pilgrimage  is  of  three  kinds. 

every  follower  to  visit  Meccah,  if  able  to  walk,  and  to  earn  his  bread 
on  the  way. 

As  a general  rule,  in  El  Islam  there  are  four  Shurut  el  Wujub,  or 
necessary  conditions,  viz. : — 

1.  Islam,  the  being  a Moslem. 

2.  Bulugh,  adolescence. 

3.  Hurriyat,  the  being  a free  man. 

4.  Akl,  or  mental  sanity. 

Other  authorities  increase  the  conditions  to  eight,  viz. : — 

5.  Wujud  el  Zad,  sufficiency  of  provision. 

6.  El  Rahlah,  having  a beast  of  burden,  if  living  two  days’  journey 
from  Meccah. 

7.  Takhliyat  el  Tarik,  the  road  being  open  ; and 

8.  Imkan  el  Masir,  the  being  able  to  walk  two  stages,  if  the  pilgrim 
hath  no  beast. 

Others,  again,  include  all  conditions  under  two  heads  — 

1.  Sihhat,  health. 

2.  Istitaat,  ability. 

These  subjects  have  exercised  not  a little  the  casuistic  talents  of  the 
Arab  doctors:  a folio  volume  might  be  filled  with  differences  of  opinion 
on  the  subject,  “ Is  a blind  man  sound?” 


THE  SHAFEI  PILGRIM  RITES 


403 


1.  El  Mukarinah  (the  uniting)  is  when  the  votary  per- 
forms the  Hajj  and  the  Umrah  together,  as  was  done  by 
the  Prophet  in  his  last  visit  to  Meccah. 

2.  El  Ifrad  (singulation)  is  when  either  the  Hajj  or  the 
Umrah  is  performed  singularly,  the  former  preceding  the 
latter.  The  pilgrim  may  be  either  El  Mufrid  b’il  Hajj  (one 
who  is  performing  only  the  Hajj),  or  vice  versa , El  Mufrid 
b’il  Umrah.  According  to  Abu  Hanifah,  this  form  is  more 
efficacious  than  the  following. 

3.  El  Tamattu  (“  possession  ”)  is  when  the  pilgrim  as- 
sumes the  Ihram,  and  preserves  it  throughout  the  months 
of  Shawwal,  Z’ul  Kaadah,  and  nine  days  (ten  nights)  in 
Zu’l  Hijjah,*  performing  Hajj  and  Umrah  the  while. 

There  is  another  threefold  division  of  pilgrimage  : — 

1.  Umrah  (the  little  pilgrimage),  performed  at  any 
time  except  the  pilgrimage  season.  It  differs  in  some  of 
its  forms  from  Hajj,  as  will  afterwards  appear. 

2.  Hajj  (or  simple  pilgrimage),  performed  at  the  proper 
season. 

3.  Hajj  el  Akbar  (the  great  pilgrimage)  is  when  the 
“ day  of  Arafat”  happens  to  fall  upon  a Friday.  This  is  a 
most  auspicious  occasion. 

The  following  compendium  of  the  Shafei  pilgrim  rites 
is  translated  from  a little  treatise  by  Mohammed  of  Shir- 
bin,  surnamed  El  Khatib,  a learned  doctor,  whose  work  is 
generally  read  in  Egypt  and  the  countries  adjoining. 


Chapter  I. — Of  Pilgrimage.! 

u Know,”  says  the  theologist,  with  scant  preamble,  M that  the 
acts  of  El  Hajj,  or  pilgrimage,  are  of  three  kinds : — • 

* At  any  other  time  of  the  year  Ihram  is  considered  Makruh,  or 
objectionable,  without  being  absolutely  sinful. 

! In  other  books  the  following  directions  are  given  to  the  intended 


404  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 


ul.  El  Arkan  or  Faraiz;  those  made  obligatory  by  Koranio 
precepts,  and  therefore  essentially  necessary,  and  not  admitting 
expiatory  or  vicarious  atonement,  either  in  Hajj  or  Umrah. 

u 2.  El  Wajibat  (requisites) ; the  omission  of  which  may,  ac- 
cording to  some  schools,  be  compensated  for  the  Eidyat,  or  atoning 
sacrifice : and — 

“ 3.  El  Sunan  (pi.  of  Sunnat),  the  practice  of  the  Prophet,  which 
may  he  departed  from  without  positive  sin. 

“ Now,  the  Arkan,  the  ‘pillars’  upon  which  the  rite  stands,  are 
six  in  number,  viz. : — 

pilgrim: — Before  leaving  home  he  must  pray  two  prostrations,  conclud- 
ing the  orisons  with  a long  supplication  and  blessings  upon  relatives, 
friends,  and  neighbors,  and  he  must  distribute  not  less  than  seven  silver 
pieces  to  the  poor.  The  day  should  be  either  a Thursday  or  a Satur- 
day ; some,  however,  say 

M Allah  hath  honored  the  Monday  and  the  Thursday.” 

If  possible,  the  first  of  the  month  should  be  chosen,  and  the  hour 
early  dawn.  Moreover,  the  pilgrim  should  not  start  without  a Rafik, 
or  companion,  who  should  be  a pious  as  well  as  a travelled  man.  The 
other  preambles  to  journeying,  are  the  following.  Istikharah,  consult- 
ing the  rosary  and  friends.  Khulus  el  Niyat,  vowing  pilgrimage  to 
the  Lord  (not  for  lucre  or  revenge).  Settling  worldly  affairs,  paying 
debts,  drawing  up  a will,  and  making  arrangements  for  the  support  of 
one’s  family.  Hiring  animals  from  a pious  person.  The  best  monture 
is  a camel,  because  preferred  by  the  Prophet ; an  ass  is  not  commenda- 
ble ; a man  should  not  walk  if  he  can  afford  to  ride ; and  the  palan- 
quin or  litter  is,  according  to  some  doctors,  limited  to  invalids.  Recit- 
ing long  prayers  when  mounting,  halting,  dismounting,  and  at  nightfall. 
On  hills  the  Takhir  should  be  used : the  Tasbih  is  properest  for  vales 
and  plains ; and  Meccah  should  be  blessed  when  first  sighted.  Avoid- 
ing abuse,  curses,  or  quarrels.  Sleeping  like  the  Prophet,  namely,  in 
early  night  (when  prayer  hour  is  distant),  with  “ Iftirash,”  or  lying  at 
length  with  the  right  cheek  on  the  palm  of  the  dexter  hand ; and  near 
dawn  with  “ Ittaka,”  i.  e.  propping  the  head  upon  the  hand,  with  the 
arm  resting  upon  the  elbow.  And,  lastly,  travelling  with  collyrium- 
pot,  looking-glass  and  comb,  needle  and  thread  for  sewing,  scissors  and 
tooth-stick,  staff  and  razor. 


PILGRIM  RITES. 


405 


“ 1.  El  Ihram  (‘rendering  unlawful’),  or  the  wearing  pilgrim 
garb  and  avoiding  certain  actions. 

“2.  El  Wukuf,  the  ‘standing’  upon  Mount  Arafat. 

“ 3.  The  Tawaf  el  Ifazah,  or  circumambulation  of  impetuosity.* 

“4.  Tiie  Sai,  or  course  between  Mounts  Safa  and  Marwah. 

“ 5.  El  Halk ; tonsure  (of  the  whole  or  part)  of  the  head  for 
men  ; or  taksir,  cutting  the  hair  (for  men  and  women) .f 

“ 6.  El  Tartib,  or  the  due  order  of  the  ceremonies,  as  above 
enumerated. 

“Now,  the  Wajibat  (requisites  of  pilgrimage,  also  called  ‘Nu- 
suk  ’)  are  five  in  number,  viz. : — 

“1.  El  Ihram,  or  assuming  pilgrim  garb,  from  the  Mikat,  or 
fixed  limit. 

“ 2.  The  Mabit,  or  nighting  at  Muzdalifah : for  this  a short  por- 
tion, generally  in  the  latter  watch,  preceding  the  Yaum  el  Nahr,  or 
victim  day,  suffices. 

“ 3.  The  spending  at  Muna  the  three  nights  of  the  ‘ Ayyan  el 
Taslirik,’  or  days  of  drying  flesh : of  these,  the  first  is  the  most 
important. 

“ 4.  The  Ramy  el  Jimar,  or  casting  stones  at  the  devil : and — 

“ 5.  The  avoiding  all  things  forbidden  to  the  pilgrim  when  in  a 
state  of  Ihram. 

“ Some  writers  reduce  these  requisites  by  omitting  the  second 
and  third.” 


Section  I. — Of  Ihram . 

“ Before  doffing  his  laical  garment,  the  Pilgrim  performs  a total 
ablution,  shaves,  and  perfumes  himself.  He  then  puts  on  a ‘ Rida’ 
and  an  ‘ Izar,’  both  new,  clean,  and  of  a white  color : after  which  he 

* The  Ifazah  is  the  impetuous  descent  from  Mount  Arafat  Its 
Tawaf  is  that  performed  immediately  after  throwing  the  stones  and 
resuming  the  laical  dress  on  the  victim  day  at  Mount  Muna. 

\ Shaving  is  better  for  man,  cutting  for  women.  A razor  must  be 
passed  over  the  bald  head ; but  it  is  sufficient  to  burn,  pluck,  shave,  or 
clip  three  hairs  when  the  chevelure  is  long. 


406  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINA!!  AND  MECCAH. 

performs  a two-prostration  prayer  (the  4 Sunnat’  of  El  Ihram),  with 
a sotto  voce  Niyat,  specifying  which  rite  he  intends. 

u When  Mnhrim  ( i . e.  in  Ihram),  the  Moslem  is  forbidden  (unless 
in  case  of  sickness,  necessity,  over-heat,  or  unendurable  cold,  when 
a victim  must  expiate  the  transgression), — 

44  1.  To  cover  his  head  with  aught  which  may  be  deemed  a 
covering,  as  a cap  or  turban;  but  he  may  carry  an  umbrella,  dive 
under  water,  stand  in  the  shade,  and  even  place  his  hands  upon  his 
head.  A woman  may  wear  sewn  clothes,  white  or  light  blue  (not 
black),  but  her  face-veil  should  be  kept  at  a distance  from  her  face. 

u 2.  To  wear  anything  sewn  or  with  seams,  as  shirt,  trowsers,  or 
slippers,  anything  knotted  or  woven,  as  chain  armor ; but  the  pil- 
grim may  use,  for  instance,  a torn-up  shirt  or  trowsers  bound  round 
his  loins  or  thrown  over  his  shoulders,  he  may  knot  his  4Izar,’  and 
tie  it  with  a cord,  and  he  may  gird  his  waist.  * 
u 3.  To  knot  the  Rida,  or  shoulder-cloth. 

44  4.  To  deviate  from  absolute  chastity,  even  kissing  being  for- 
bidden to  the  Muhrim.  Marriage  cannot  be  contracted  during  the 
pilgrimage  season. 

u 5.  To  use  perfumes,  oil,  curling  the  locks,  or  removing  the  nails 
and  hair  by  paring,  cutting,  plucking,  or  burning.  The  nails  may 
be  employed  to  remove  pediculi  from  the  hair  and  clothes,  but  with 
care,  that  no  pile  fall  off. 

44  6.  To  hunt  wild  animals,  or  to  kill  those  which  were  such  ori- 
ginally. But  he  may  destroy  the  4 five  noxious,’  a kite,  a crow,  a 
rat,  a scorpion,  and  a dog  given  to  biting.  He  must  not  cut  down 
a tree,  or  pluck  up  a self-growing  plant ; but  he  is  permitted  to  reap 
and  to  cut  grass. 

u When  assuming  the  pilgrim  garb,  and  before  entering  Meccah, 
4 Ghusl,’  or  total  ablution,  should  be  performed  ; but  if  water  be  not 
procurable,  the  Tayammum,  or  sand  ablution,  suffices.  The  pilgrim 
should  enter  the  Holy  City  by  day  and  on  foot.  When  his  glance 
falls  upon  the  Kaabah  he  should  say,  4 O Allah,  increase  this  (thy) 
house  in  degree,  and  greatness,  and  honor,  and  awfulness,  and  in- 
crease all  those  who  have  honored  it  and  glorified  it  with  degree, 
and  greatness,  and  honor,  and  dignity !’  Entering  the  outer  Bab  el 
Salarn,  he  must  exclaim,  4 0 Allah,  thou  art,  the  safety,  and  from 


PILGRIM  RITES. 


407 


thee  is  the  safety!’  And  then  passing  into  the  mosque,  he  should 
repair  to  the  1 Black  Stone,’  touch  it  with  his  right  hand,  kiss  it,  and 
commence  his  circumarabulation. 

44  Now,  the  victims  of  El  Ihram  are  five  in  number,  viz : — 

44  1.  The  4 Victim  of  Requisites,’  when  a pilgrim  accidentally  or 
willingly  omits  to  perform  a requisite,  such  as  the  assumption  of  the 
pilgrim  garb  at  the  proper  place.  This  victim  is  a sheep,  or,  in  lieu 
of  it,  ten  days’  fast. 

44  2.  The  4 Victim  of  Luxuries’  (Turfah),  such  as  shaving  the  head 
or  using  perfumes.  This  is  a sheep,  or  a three  days’  fast,  or  alms, 
consisting  of  three  saa  measures  of  grain,  distributed  among  six 
paupers. 

44  3.  The  4 Victim  of  suddenly  returning  to  Laical  Life that  is 
to  say,  before  the  proper  time.  It  is  also  a sheep,  after  the  sacrifice 
of  which  the  pilgrim  shaves  his  head. 

44  4.  The  4 Victim  of  killing  game.’  If  the  animal  slain  be  one 
for  which  the  tame  equivalent  be  procurable  (a  camel  for  an  ostrich, 
a cow  for  a wild  ass  or  cow,  and  a goat  for  a gazelle),  the  pilgrim 
should  sacrifice  it,  or  distribute  its  value,  or  purchase  with  it  grain 
for  the  poor,  or  fast  one  day  for  each  4 Mudd’  measure.  If  the  equi- 
valent be  not  procurable,  the  offender  must  buy  its  value  of  grain  for 
alms-deeds,  or  fast  a day  for  every  measure. 

44  5.  The  4 Victim  of  Incontinence.’  This  offering  is  either  a male 
or  a female  camel : these  failing,  a cow  or  seven  sheep,  or  the  value 
of  a camel  in  grain  distributed  to  the  poor,  or  a day’s  fast  for  each 
measure.” 


Section  II. — Of  Tcmaf  or  Circumarabulation . 

44  Of  this  ceremony  there  are  five  Wajibat,  or  requisites,  viz. : — - 
Concealing  4 the  shame,’  * as  in  prayer.  Ceremonial  purity  of  body, 
garments,  and  place.  Circumambulation  inside  the  mosque.  Seven 
circuits  of  the  house.  Commencement  of  circuit  from  the  Black 
Stone.  Circumambulating  the  house  with  the  left  shoulder  presented 

* A man's  “ Aurat”  is  from  the  navel  to  the  knee ; in  the  case  of  a 
free  woman  the  whole  of  her  face  and  person  are  “shame.” 


408  A PILGK IMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINA  H AND  MECCAH. 

to  it.  Circuiting  the  house  outside  its  Shazarwan,  or  marble  base- 
ment. And,  lastly,  the  Kiyat,  or  intention  of  Tawaf,  specifying 
whether  it  be  for  Hajj  or  for  Umrah. 

“ Of  the  same  ceremony  the  principal  Sunnat,  or  practices,  are 
to  walk  on  foot ; to  touch,  kiss,  and  place  his  forehead  upon  the 
Black  Stone,  if  possible  after  each  circuit  to  place  the  hand  upon  the 
south  corner,  but  not  to  kiss  it;  to  pray  during  each  circuit  for  what 
is  best  for  man  (pardon  of  sins) ; to  quote  lengthily  from  the  Koran, 
and  often  to  say  ‘Subhan  Allah!’  and  to  mention  none  but  Allah ; 
to  walk  slowly  during  the  three  first  circuits,  and  trotting  the  last 
four,  all  the  while  maintaining  an  humble  and  contrite  demeanor 
with  downcast  eyes. 

“ After  the  sevenfold  circumambulation  the  pilgrim  should  recite 
a two-prostration  prayer.  If  unable  to  pray  there,  he  may  take  any 
other  part  of  the  mosque.  These  devotions  are  performed  silently 
by  day  and  aloud  by  night.  And  after  prayer  the  pilgrim  should 
return  to  the  Black  Stone,  and  kiss  it.” 


Section  III. — Of  Sai , or  Course  between  Mounts  Safa  and 
Marwah. 

“After  performing  Tawaf,  the  pilgrim  should  issue  from  the 
gate  ‘ El  Safa’  (or  another,  if  necessary),  and  ascend  the  steps  of 
Mount  Safa,  about  a man’s  height  from  the  street.  There  he 
raises  the  cry  Tekbir,  and  implores  pardon  for  his  sins.  He  then 
descends,  and  turns  towards  Mount  Marwah  at  a slow  pace.  Ar- 
rived within  six  cubits  of  the  Mil  el  Akhzar  (the  ‘green  pillars,’ 
planted  in  the  corner  of  the  temple  on  the  left  hand),  he  runs  swiftly 
till  he  reaches  the  ‘ two  green  pillars,’  the  left  one  of  which  is  fixed 
in  the  corner  of  the  temple,  and  the  other  close  to  the  Dar  el  Abbas. 
Thence  he  again  walks  slowly  up  to  Marwah,  and  ascends  it  as  he 
did  Safa.  This  concludes  a single  course.  The  pilgrim  then  starts 
from  Marwah,  and  walks,  runs,  and  walks  again  through  the  same 
limits,  till  the  seventh  course  is  concluded. 

“ There  are  four  requisites  of  Sai.  The  pilgrim  must  pass  over 
all  the  space  between  Safa  and  Marwah ; he  must  begin  with  Safa, 


PILGRIM  RITES. 


409 


and  end  with  Marwah  ; he  must  traverse  the  distance  seven  times  ; 
and  he  must  perform  the  rite  after  some  important  Tawaf,  as  that 
of  arrival,  or  that  of  return  from  Arafat. 

“ The  practices  of  Sai  are,  briefly,  to  walk,  if  possible,  to  be  in  a 
state  of  ceremonial  purity,  to  quote  lengthily  from  the  Koran,  and 
to  be  abundant  in  praise  of  Allah.” 

Section  IY. — Of  WuJcuf  or  standing  upon  Mount  Arafat . 

uThe  days  of  pilgrimage  are  three  in  number ; namely,  the  8th, 
the  9th,  and  the  10th  of  the  month  Zu’l  Hijjah.* 

44  On  the  first  day  (8th),  called  Yaum  el  Tarwiyah,  the  pilgrim 
should  start  from  Meccah  after  the  dawn-prayer  and  sunrise,  per- 
form his  noontide,  afternoon,  and  evening  devotions  at  Muna,  where 
it  is  a Sunnat  that  he  should  sleep. t 

“ On  the  second  day  (9th),  the  4 Yaum  Arafat,’  after  performing 
the  early  prayer  at  4 Ghalas  ’ (i.  e . when  a man  cannot  see  his  neigh- 
bor’s face)  on  Mount  Sabir,  near  Muna,  the  pilgrim  should  start 

* The  Arab  legend  is,  that  the  angels  asking  the  Almighty  why 
Ibrahim  was  called  El  Khalil  (or  God’s  friend),  they  were  told  that  all 
his  thoughts  were  fixed  on  heaven ; and  when  they  called  to  mind  that 
he  had  a wife  and  children,  Allah  convinced  them  of  the  Patriarch’s 
sanctity  by  a trial.  One  night  Ibrahim  saw,  in  a vision,  a speaker,  who 
said  to  him,  “Allah  orders  thee  to  draw  near  him  with  a victim!”  He 
awoke,  and  not  comprehending  the  scope  of  the  dream,  took  especial 
notice  of  it;  hence  the  first  day  of  pilgrimage  is  called  Yaum  el  Tar- 
wiyah. The  same  speaker  visited  him  on  the  next  night,  saying, 
“Sacrifice  what  is  dearest  to  thee!’  From  the  Patriarch’s  knowing 
what  the  first  vision  meant,  the  second  day  is  called  Yaum  Arafat.  On 
the  third  night  he  was  ordered  to  sacrifice  Ismail;  hence  that  day  is 
called  Yaum  Nahr  (of  “ throat-cutting”).  The  English  reader  will  bear 
in  mind  that  the  Moslem  day  begins  at  sunset. 

f The  present  generation  of  pilgrims,  finding  the  delay  inconvenient, 
always  pass  on  to  Arafat  without  halting,  and  generally  arrive  at  the 
mountain  late  in  the  afternoon  of  the  8th,  that  is  to  say,  the  first  day 
of  pilgrimage.  Consequently,  they  pray  the  morning  prayer  of  tko 
9th  at  Arafat. 


18 


410  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAII  AND  MECCAH. 

when  the  sun  is  risen,  proceed  to  the  4 Mountain  of  Mercy,’  encamp 
there,  and  after  performing  the  noontide  and  afternoon  devotions  at 
the  Masjid  Ibrahim,  joining  and  shortening  them,* * * §  he  should  take 
his  station  upon  the  mountain,  which  is  all  standing  ground.  But 
the  best  position  is  that  preferred  by  the  Prophet,  near  the  great 
rocks  lying  at  the  lower  slope  of  Arafat.  He  must  be  present  at 
the  sermon, t and  be  abundant  in  Talbiyat  (supplication),  Thalil 
(recitations  of  the  chapter  4 Say  he  is  the  one  God ! ’ J),  and  weep- 
ing, for  that  is  the  place  for  the  outpouring  of  tears.  There  he 
should  stay  till  sunset,  and  then  decamp  and  return  hastily  to 
Muzdalifah,  where  he  should  pass  a portion  of  the  night.  After  a 
visit  to  the  mosque  4 Mashar  el  Haram,’  he  should  collect  seven  peb- 
bles, and  proceed  to  Muna. 

44  Yaum  el  Nahr,  the  third  day  of  pilgrimage  (10th  Zu’l  Hijjali), 
is  the  great  festival  of  the  Moslem  year.  Amoirgst  its  many  names, 
4 Ed  el  Kurban  ’ is  the  best  known,  as  expressive  of  Abraham’s 
sacrifice  in  lieu  of  Ismail.  Most  pilgrims,  after  casting  stones  at  the 
Akabah,  or  4 Great  Devil,’  hurry  to  Meccah.  Some  enter  the 
Kaabah,  whilst  others  content  themselves  with  performing  the 
Tawaf  el  Ifazah,  or  circumambulation  of  impetuosity,  round  the 
house.  The  pilgrim  should  then  return  to  Muna,  sacrifice  a sheep, 
and  sleep  there.  Strictly  speaking,  this  day  concludes  the  pilgrimage. 

44  The  second  set  of  4 trois  jours,’  namely,  the  11th,  the  12th, 
and  the  13th  of  Zu’l  Hijjah,  are  called  the  ‘days  of  drying  flesh  in 
the  sun.’§  The  pilgrim  should  spend  that  time  at  Muna,  and  each 
day  throw  seven  pebbles  at  each  of  the  three  pillars. 

* The  Shafei  when  engaged  on  a journey  which  takes  up  a night 
and  day,  is  allowed  to  shorten  his  prayers,  and  to  “ join”  the  noon  with 
the  afternoon,  and  the  evening  with  the  night  devotions ; thus  reducing 
the  number  of  times  from  five  to  three  per  diem. 

f If  the  pilgrim  be  too  late  for  the  sermon,  his  labor  is  irretrievably 
lost, 

X Ibn  Abbas  relates  a tradition,  that  whoever  recites  this  short  chap- 
ter 11,000  times  on  the  Arafat  day  shall  obtain  from  Allah  all  he  desires. 

§ “ The  days  of  drying  flesh,”  because  at  this  period  pilgrims  pre- 
pare provisions  for  their  return,  by  cutting  up  their  victims,  and 
exposing  to  the  sun  large  slices  slung  upon  long  lines  of  cord. 


PILGRIM  RITES 


411 


44  When  throwing  the  stones,  it  is  desirable  that  the  pilgrim  should 
cast  them  far  from  himself,  although  he  is  allowed  to  place  them 
upon  the  pillar.  The  act  also  should  be  performed  after  the  Zawal, 
or  declension  of  the  sun.  If  unable  to  cast  the  stones  during  the 
daytime,  he  is  allowed  to  do  it  at  night. 

u The  4 throwing  ’ over — the  pilgrim  returns  to  Meccah,  and 
when  his  journey  is  fixed,  performs  the  Tawaf  el  Widaa  (4  of  fare- 
well ’).  On  this  occasion  it  is  a Sunnat  to  drink  the  water  of  Zem 
Zem,  to  enter  the  temple  with  more  than  usual  respect  and  reverence, 
and  bidding  it  adieu,  to  depart  from  the  Holy  City. 

M The  Moslem  is  especially  forbidden  to  take  with  him  cakes 
made  of  the  earth  or  dust  of  the  Haram,  and  similar  mementos,  as 
they  savor  of  idolatry.” 


Chap.  II. — Of  Umrah,  or  the  Little  Pilgrimage. 

44  The  word  4 TTmrah  ’ denotes  a pilgrimage  performed  at  any  time 
except  the  pilgrim  season  (the  8th,  9th,  and  10th  of  Zu’l  Hijjah). 


Chap.  III. — Of  Ziyarat,  or  the  Visit  to  the  Pro- 
phet’s Tomb. 

44  El  Ziyarat  is  a practice  of  the  faith,  and  the  most  effectual  way 
of  drawing  near  to  Allah  through  his  Prophet  Mohammed. 

44  As  the  Zair  arrives  at  El  Medinah,  when  his  eyes  fall  upon  the 
trees  of  the  city,  he  must  bless  the  Prophet  with  a loud  voice. 
Then  he  should  enter  the  mosque,  and  sit  in  the  Holy  Garden,  which 
is  between  the  pulpit  and  the  tomb,  and  pray  a two-prostration 
prayer  in  honor  of  the  Masjid.  After  this  he  should  supplicate 
pardon  for  his  sins.  Then,  approaching  the  sepulchre,  and  standing 
four  cubits  away  from  it,  recite  this  prayer : — 

' 44  4 Peace  be  with  thee,  0 thou  T.  H.  and  Y.  S.,*  peace  be  with 
thee,  and  upon  thy  descendants,  and  thy  companions,  one  and  all, 

* The  20th  and  36th  chapters  of  the  Koran. 


412  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

and  upon  all  the  prophets,  and  those  inspired  to  instruct  mankind. 
And  I bear  witness  that  thou  hast  delivered  thy  message,  and  per- 
formed thy  trust,  and  advised  thy  followers,  and  swept  away  dark- 
ness, and  fought  in  Allah’s  path  the  good  fight ; may  Allah  requite 
thee  from  us  the  best  with  which  he  ever  requited  prophet  from 
his  followers ! ’ 

“ Let  the  visitor  stand  the  while  before  the  tomb  with  respect, 
and  reverence,  and  singleness  of  mind,  and  fear,  and  awe.  After 
which,  let  him  retreat  one  cubit,  and  salute  Abubekr  the  Truthful 
in  these  words : — 

“ 1 Peace  be  with  thee,  O Caliph  of  Allah’s  Prophet  over  his 
people,  and  aider  in  the  defence  of  his  faith ! ’ 

u After  this,  again  retreating  another  cubit,  let  him  bless  in  the 
same  way  Umar  the  Just.  After  which,  returning  to  his  former 
station  opposite  the  Prophet’s  tomb,  he  should  implore  intercession 
for  himself  and  all  dearest  to  him.  He  should  not  neglect  to  visit 
the  Bakia  Cemetery  and  the  Kuba  Mosque,  where  he  should  pray 
for  himself  and  his  brethren  of  the  Muslimin  and  the  Muslimat,  the 
Mumimn  and  the  Muminat,  * the  quick  of  them  and  the  dead. 
When  ready  to  depart,  let  the  Zair  take  leave  of  the  mosque  with  a 
two-prostration  prayer,  and  visit  the  tomb,  and  salute  it,  and  again 
beg  intercession  for  himself  and  for  those  he  loves.  And  the  Zair 
is  forbidden  to  circumambulate  the  tomb,  or  to  carry  away  the 
cakes  of  clay  made  by  the  ignorant  with  the  earth  and  dust  of  the 
Haram.” 

* These  second  words  are  the  feminines  of  the  first;  they  prove 
that  the  Moslem  is  not  above  praying  for  what  Europe  supposed  he  did 
not  believe  in,  namely,  the  souls  of  women. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

THE  CEREMONIES  OP  THE  YAUM  EL  TARWIYAH. 

At  10  A.  m.  on  Monday,  the  12th  Sept.  1853,  habited  in 
our  Ihram,  or  pilgrim  garbs,  we  mounted  the  litter. 

We  followed  the  road  by  which  we  entered  Meccah. 
It  was  covered  with  white-robed  pilgrims,  some  few  wend- 
ing their  way  on  foot,  others  riding,  and  all  men  barefooted 
and  bareheaded.  Most  of  the  wealthier  classes  mounted 
asses.  The  scene  was,  as  usual,  one  of  strange  contrasts : 
Bedouins  bestriding  swift  dromedaries  ; Turkish  dignitaries 
on  line  horses  ; the  most  picturesque  beggars,  and  the  most 
uninteresting  looking  Xizam.  Xot  a little  wrangling  mingled 
with  the  loud  bursts  of  “ Talbiyat.”  Dead  animals  dotted 
the  ground,  and  carcases  had  been  cast  into  a dry  tank,  the 
“ Birkat  el  Shami,”  which  caused  every  Bedouin  to  hold 
his  nose,  and  show  disgust.*  Here,  on  the  right  of  the 
road,  the  poorer  pilgrims,  who  could  not  find  houses,  had 
erected  huts,  and  pitched  their  ragged  tents.  At  1 1 a.  m. 
ascending  a Mudaraj,  or  flight  of  stone  steps,  about  thirty 

* The  true  Bedouin,  when  in  the  tainted  atmosphere  of  towns,  is 
always  known  by  bits  of  cotton  in  his  nostrils,  or  his  kerchief  tightly 
drawn  over  his  nose,  and  a heavy  frown  marking  extreme  disgust. 


414  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

yards  broad,  we  passed  without  difficulty,  for  we  were  in 
advance  of  the  caravans,  over  the  Akabah,  or  steeps,  and 
the  narrow  hill-girt  entrance,  to  the  low  gravel  basin  in 
which  Muna  lies. 

Muna,  more  classically  called  Mina,  is  a place  of  consi- 
derable sanctity.  Its  three  standing  miracles  are  these : — 
The  pebbles  thrown  at  “the  devil”  return  by  angelic 
agency  to  whence  they  came ; during  the  three  days  of  dry- 
ing meat  rapacious  beasts  and  birds  cannot  prey  there ; and 
flies  do  not  settle  upon  the  articles  of  food  exposed  so  abun- 
dantly in  the  bazaars.*  During  pilgrimage  houses  are  let 
for  an  exorbitant  sum,  and  it  becomes  a “world’s  fair”  of 
Moslem  merchants.  At  all  other  seasons  it  is  almost  de- 
serted, in  consequence,  says  popular  superstition,  of  the 
Rajm  or  diabolical  lapidation.*  Distant  about  three  miles 
from  Meccah,  it  is  a long,  narrow,  straggling  village,  com- 
posed of  mud  and  stone  houses  of  one  or  stories,  built  in 
the  common  Arab  style.  Traversing  a narrow  street,  we 
passed  on  the  left  the  Great  Devil,  which  shall  be  described 
at  a future  time.  After  a quarter  of  an  hour’s  halt,  spent 
over  pipes  and  coffee,  we  came  to  an  open  space,  where 
stands  the  mosque  “ El  Khayf.”  Here,  according  to  some 
Arabs,  Adam  lies,  his  head  being  at  one  end  of  the  long 
wall,  and  his  feet  at  another,  whilst  the  dome  covers  his 
omphalic  region.  Grand  preparations  for  fireworks  were 
being  made  in  this  square  ; I especially  marked  a fire-ship, 
which  savored  strongly  of  Stamboul. 

* According  to  Mohammed  the  pebbles  of  the  accepted  are  re- 
moved by  angels ; as,  however,  each  man  and  woman  has  to  throw  49 
or  70  stones,  it  is  fair  to  suspect  the  intervention  of  something  more  ma- 
terial. Animals  are  frightened  away  by  the  bustling  crowd,  and  flies 
are  found  in  myriads. 

\ This  demoniacal  practice  is  still  as  firmly  believed  in  Arabia  as  it 
formerly  was  in  Europe. 


PLACE  DEDICATED  TO  RELIGIOUS  CEREMONIES.  415 


At  noon  we  reached  the  mosque  Muzdalifah,  also  called 
Mashar  el  Haram,  the  “ Place  dedicated  to  Religious  Cere- 
monies.” It  is  known  in  El  Islam  as  “ the  minaret  without 
the  mosque,”  opposed  to  Masjid  Nimrali,  which  is  the  “ mos- 
que without  the  minaret.”  Half  way  between  Muna  and 
Arafat — about  three  miles  from  both — there  is  something 
peculiarly  striking  in  the  distant  appearance  of  the  tall,  soli- 
tary tower,  rising  abruptly  from  the  desolate  valley  of  gra- 
vel, flanked  with  buttresses  of  yellow  rock.  No  wonder  that 
the  ancient  Arabs  loved  to  give  the  high-sounding  name  of 
this  oratory  to  distant  places  in  their  giant  empire. 

Here,  as  we  halted  to  perform  the  mid-day  prayer,  we 
were  overtaken  by  the  Damascus  caravan.  It  was  a grand 
spectacle.  The  Mahmal,  no  longer  naked,  as  upon  the  line 
of  march,  flashed  in  the  sun  all  green  and  gold.  Around  the 
moving  host  of  white-robed  pilgrims  hovered  a crowd  of 
Bedouins,  male  and  female,  all  mounted  on  swift  drome- 
daries, and  many  of  them  armed  to  the  teeth.  As  their 
drapery  floated  in  the  wind,  and  their  faces  were  veiled 
with  the  “ lisam,”  it  was  frequently  difficult  to  distinguish 
the  sex  of  the  wild  being  flogging  its  animal  to  speed,  as 
they  passed.  These  people,  as  has  been  said,  often  resort 
to  Arafat  for  blood-revenge,  in  hopes  of  finding  the  victim 
unprepared.  Nothing  can  be  more  sinful  in  El  Islam  than 
such  a deed, — it  is  murder  “made  sicker”  by  sacrilege; 
yet  the  prevalence  of  the  practice  proves  how  feeble  is  the 
religion’s  hold  upon  the  race.  The  women  are  as  unscrupu- 
lous : I remarked  many  of  them  emulating  the  men  in  reck- 
less riding,  and  striking  with  their  sticks  every  animal  in 
the  way. 

Travelling  eastwards  up  the  Arafat  fiumara,  after  about 
half  an  hour  we  came  to  a narrow  pass  called  El  Akhsha- 
bayn,  or  the  “ two  rugged  hills.”  Here  the  spurs  of  the 
hill  limit  the  road  to  about  100  paces,  and  it  is  generally  a 


416  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

scene  of  great  confusion.  After  this  we  arrived  at  El 
Bazan  (the  Basin),  a widening  of  the  plain ; and  another 
half  hour  brought  us  to  the  Alamain  (the  “ Twin  Signs”), 
two  whitewashed  pillars,  or  rather  thin,  narrow  walls,  sur- 
mounted with  pinnacles,  which  denote  the  precincts  of  the 
Arafat  plain.  Here,  in  full  sight  of  the  Holy  Hill,  standing 
quietly  out  from  the  fair  blue  sky,  the  host  of  pilgrims 
broke  into  loud  Labbayks. 

Arafat  is  about  a six  hours’  march,  or  twelve  miles, 
on  the  Taif  road,  due  east  of  Meccah.  We  arrived  there 
in  a shorter  time,  but  our  weary  camels,  during  the  last 
third  of  the  way,  frequently  threw  themselves  upon  the 
ground.  Human  beings  suffered  more.  Between  Muna 
and  Arafat  I saw  no  less  than  five  men  fall  down  and  die 
upon  the  highway;  exhausted  and  moribund,  they  had 
dragged  themselves  out  to  give  up  the  ghost  where  it 
departs  to  instant  beatitude.*  The  spectacle  showed  how 
easy  it  is  to  die  in  these  latitudes  ;f  each  man  suddenly 
staggered,  fell  as  if  shot,  and  after  a brief  convulsion,  lay 
still  as  marble.  The  corpses  were  carefully  taken  up,  and 
carelessly  buried  that  same  evening,  in  a vacant  space 
amongst  the  crowds  encamped  upon  the  Arafat  plain. J 

The  boy  Mohammed  who  had  long  chafed  at  my  per- 
tinacious claim  to  dervishhood,  resolved  on  this  occasion  to 
be  grand.  To  swell  the  party,  he  had  invited  Umar  Effendi, 
whom  we  accidentally  met  in  the  streets  of  Meccah,  to  join 

* Those  who  die  on  a pilgrimage  become  martyrs. 

f I cannot  help  believing  that  some  unknown  cause  renders  death 
easier  to  man  in  hot  than  in  cold  climates  ; certain  it  is  that  in 
Europe  rare  are  the  quiet  and  painless  deathbeds  so  common  in  the 
East. 

f We  bury  our  dead,  to  preserve  them  as  it  were ; the  Moslem  tries 
to  secure  rapid  decomposition,  and  makes  the  grave-yard  a dangerous 
as  well  as  a disagreeable  place. 


THE  BECKLESS  PILGEIMAGE  FEOM  INDIA.  417 

us ; but  failing  therein,  he  brought  with  him  two  cousins, 
fat  youths  of  sixteen  and  seventeen,  and  his  mother’s 
ground-floor  servants.  These  were  four  Indians;  an  old 
man ; his  wife,  a middle-aged  woman  of  most  ordinary 
appearance;  their  son,  a sharp  boy,  who  spoke  excellent 
Arabic;  and  a family  friend,  a stout  fellow  about  thirty 
years  old.  They  were  Panjabis,  and  the  bachelor’s  history 
was  instructive.  He  was  gaining  an  honest  livelihood  in  his 
own  country,  when  suddenly  one  night  Hazrat  Ali,  dressed 
in  green,  and  mounted  upon  his  charger  Duldul — at  least,  so 
said  the  narrator — appeared,  crying  in  a terrible  voice, 
“ How  long  wilt  thou  toil  for  this  world,  and  be  idle  about 
the  life  to  come?”  From  that  moment,  like  an  English 
murderer,  he  knew  no  peace,  conscience  and  Hazrat  Ali 
haunted  him.  Finding  life  unendurable  at  home,  he  sold 
everything,  raised  the  sum  of  20 £.,  and  started  for  the  Holy 
Land.  He  reached  Jeddah  with  a few  rupees  in  his  pocket, 
and  came  to  Meccah,  where,  everything  being  exorbitantly 
dear,  and  charity  all  but  unknown,  he  might  have  starved, 
had  he  not  been  received  by  his  old  friend.  The  married 
pair  and  their  son  had  been  taken  as  house-servants  by  the 
boy  Mohammed’s  mother,  who  generously  allowed  them 
shelter  and  a pound  of  rice  per  diem  to  each,  but  not  a far- 
thing of  pay.  They  were  even  expected  to  provide  their 
own  turmeric  and  onions.  Yet  these  poor  people  were 
anxiously  awaiting  the  opportunity  to  visit  El  Medinah, 
without  which  their  pilgrimage  would  not,  they  believed, 
be  complete.  They  would  beg  their  way  through  the  ter- 
rible desert  and  its  Bedouins — an  old  man,  a boy,  and  a 
woman!  What  were  their  chances  of  returning  to  their 
homes  ? Such,  I believe,  is  too  often  the  history  of  those 
wretches  whom  a fit  of  religious  enthusiasm,  likest  to  insa- 
nity, hurries  away  to  the  Holy  Land. 

With  the  Indians’  assistance  the  boy  Mohammed  re- 
18* 


418  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

moved  the  handsome  Persian  rugs  with  which  he  had 
covered  the  shugduf,  pitched  the  tent,  carpeted  the 
ground,  disposed  a diwan  of  silk  and  satin  cushions  round 
the  interior,  and  strewed  the  centre  with  new  chibouques 
and  highly  polished  shishas.  At  the  doorway  was  placed  a 
Mankal,  a large  copper  fire-pan,  with  coffee-pots  singing  a 
welcome  to  visitors.  In  front  of  us  were  the  litters,  and 
by  divers  similar  arrangements  our  establishment  was  mad 
to  look  grand.  The  youth  also  insisted  upon  my  removing 
the  Rida,  or  upper  cotton  cloth,  which  had  become  way- 
soiled,  and  he  supplied  its  place  by  a fine  cashmere,  left 
with  him,  some  years  before,  by  a son  of  the  king  of  Delhi. 
Little  thought  I that  this  bravery  of  attire  would  lose  me 
every  word  of  the  Arafat  sermon  next  day. 

Arafat  is  a mass  of  coarse  granite  split  into  large  blocks 
with  a thin  coat  of  withered  thorns,  about  one  mile  in  cir- 
cumference and  rising  abruptly  from  the  low  gravelly  plain 
— a dwarf  wall  at  the  southern  base  forming  the  line  of  de- 
marcation— to  the  height  of  180  or  200  feet.  Nothing  can 
be  more  picturesque  than  the  view  it  affords  of  the  blue 
peaks  behind,  and  the  vast  encampment  scattered  over  the 
barren  yellow  plain  below.  On  the  north  lay  the  regularly 
pitched  camp  of  the  guards  that  defend  the  unarmed  pil- 
grims. To  the  eastward  was  the  Sherif’s  encampment  with 
the  bright  mahmals  and  the  gilt  knobs  of  the  grander 
pavilions;  whilst,  on  the  southern  and  western  sides,  the 
tents  of  the  vulgar  crowded  the  ground,  disposed  in  do  wars, 
or  circles,  for  penning  cattle.  After  many  calculations,  I 
estimated  the  number  to  be  not  less  than  50,000,  of  all  ages 
and  sexes ; a sad  falling  off,  it  is  true,  but  still  considera- 
ble* 

* Ali  Bey  (a.d.  1 807 ) calculates  83,000  pilgrims;  Burckhardt  (1814), 
70,000.  I reduce  it,  in  1853,  to  50,000,  and  in  a.d.  1854,  owing  to 


LEGEND  OF  ADAM  AND  EYE. 


419 


The  Holy  Hill  owes  its  name*  and  honors  to  a well- 
known  legend.  When  our  first  parents  forfeited  heaven 
by  eating  wheat,  which  deprived  them  of  their  primeval 
purity,  they  were  cast  down  upon  earth.  The  serpent 
descended  at  Ispahan,  the  peacock  at  Cabul,  Satan  at  Bil- 
bays  (others  say  Semnan  and  Seistan),  Eve  upon  Arafat, 
and  Adam  at  Ceylon.  The  latter,  determining  to  seek  his 
wife,  began  a journey,  to  which  earth  owes  its  present  mot- 
tled appearance.  Wherever  our  first  father  placed  his  foot 
— which  was  large — a town  afterwards  arose  ; between  the 
strides  will  always  be  “ country.”  Wandering  for  many 
years,  he  came  to  the  Mountain  of  Mercy,  where  our  com- 
mon mother  was  continually  calling  upon  his  name,  and 
their  recognition  gave  the  place  the  name  of  Arafat.  Upon 
its  summit  Adam,  instructed  by  the  archangel,  erected  a 
“ Madaa,”  or  place  of  prayer ; and  between  this  spot  and 
the  Nimrah  mosque  the  pair  abode  till  death. 

From  the  Holy  Hill  I walked  down  to  look  at  the  camp 
arrangements.  The  main  street  of  tents  and  booths,  huts 
and  shops,  was  bright  with  lanterns,  and  the  bazaars  were 
crowded  with  people  and  stocked  with  all  manner  of  east- 
ern delicacies.  Some  anomalous  spectacles  met  the  eye. 
Many  pilgrims,  especially  the  soldiers,  were  in  laical  cos- 

political  causes,  it  fell  to  about  25,000.  Of  these  at  least  10,000  are 
Meccans,  as  every  one  who  can  leave  the  city  does  so  at  pilgrimage- 
time. The  Arabs  have  a superstition  that  the  numbers  at  Arafat  can- 
not be  counted,  and  that  if  less  than  600,000  mortals  stand  upon  the 
hill  to  hear  the  sermon,  the  angels  descend  and  complete  the  number. 
Even  this  year  my  Arab  friends  declared  that  150,000  spirits  were 
present  in  human  shape. 

* The  word  is  explained  in  many  ways.  One  derivation  has  already 
been  mentioned.  Others  assert  that  when  Gabriel  taught  Abraham  the 
ceremonies,  he  ended  by  saying  “A 'arafta  manasik’ak?” — hast  thou 
learned  thy  pilgrim  rites?  To  which  the  Friend  of  Allah  replied, 
“ Araftu  /” — I have  learned  them. 


420  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

tume.  In  one  place  a half-drunken  Arnaut  stalked  down 
the  road,  elbowing  peaceful  passengers  and  frowning  fiercely 
in  hopes  of  a quarrel.  In  another,  a huge  dimly  lit  tent, 
reeking  hot,  and  garnished  with  cane-seats,  contained  knots 
of  Egyptians,  as  their  red  tarbushes,  white  turbans,  and 
black  zaabuts  showed,  noisily  intoxicating  themselves  with 
forbidden  hemp.  There  were  frequent  brawls  and  great 
confusion ; many  men  had  lost  their  parties,  and,  mixed 
with  loud  Labbayks,  rose  the  shouted  names  of  women  as 
well  as  men.  I was  surprised  at  the  disproportion  of  female 
nomenclature, — the  missing  number  of  fair  ones  seemed  to 
double  that  of  the  other  sex, — and  at  a practice  so  opposed 
to  the  customs  of  the  Moslem  world.  At  length  the  boy 
Mohammed  enlightened  me.  Egyptian  and  other  bold 
women,  when  unable  to  join  the  pilgrimage,  will  pay  or 
persuade  a friend  to  shout  their  names  in  hearing  of  the 
Holy  Hill,  with  a view  of  ensuring  a real  presence  at  the 
desired  spot  next  year.  So  the  welkin  rang  with  the  inde- 
cent sounds  of  O Fatimah!  O Zaynab!  O Khayzaran  !* 
Plunderers,  too,  were  abroad.  As  we  returned  to  the  tent 
we  found  a crowd  assembled  near  it ; a woman  had  seized 
a thief  as  he  was  beginning  operations,  and  had  the  courage 
to  hold  his  beard  till  men  ran  to  her  assistauce.  And  we 
were  obliged  to  defend  by  force  our  position  against  a knot 
of  grave-diggers,  who  would  bury  a little  heap  of  bodies 
within  a yard  or  two  of  our  tent. 

One  point  struck  me  at  once,  the  difference  in  point  of 
cleanliness  between  an  encampment  of  citizens  and  Be- 

* The  latter  name,  “ Ratan,”  is  servile.  Respectable  women  are 
never  publicly  addressed  by  Moslems  except  as  “ daughter,”  “ female 
pilgrim,”  after  some  male  relation,  “ 0 mother  of  Mohammed,”  “ O 
sister  of  Umar,”  or,  tout  bonnement,  by  a man’s  name.  It  would  be 
ill-omened  and  dangerous  were  the  true  name  known.  So  most  women, 
when  travelling,  adopt  an  alias. 


THE  SONG  OF  MAYSUNAH. 


421 


douins.  Poor  Masud  sat  holding  his  nose  in  ineffable  dis- 
gust ; for  which  he  was  derided  by  the  Meccans.  I con- 
soled him  with  quoting  the  celebrated  song  of  Maysunah  * 

“ O take  these  purple  robes  away, 

Give  back  my  cloak  of  camel’s  hair, 

And  bear  me  from  this  tow’ring  pile 
To  where  the  Black  Tents  flap  i’  the  air. 

The  camel’s  colt  with  falt’ring  tread, 

The  dog  that  bays  at  all  but  me, 

Delight  me  more  than  ambling  mules — 

Than  every  art  of  minstrelsy. 

And  any  cousin,  poor  but  free, 

Might  take  me,  fatted  ass ! from  thee.”f 

The  old  man,  delighted,  clapped  my  shoulder,  and  ex- 
claimed, “ Yerily,  O Father  of  Mu&achios,  I will  show  thee 
the  black  tents  of  my  tribe  this  year ! ” 

At  length  night  came,  and  we  threw  ourselves  upon  our 

* The  beautiful  Bedouin  wife  of  the  Caliph  Muawiyah.  Nothing 
can  be  more  charming  in  its  own  Arabic  than  this  little  song : the 
Bedouins  never  heard  it  without  screams  of  joy. 

f The  British  reader  will  be  shocked  to  hear  that  by  the  term 
“ fatted  ass”  the  intellectual  lady  alluded  to  her  husband.  The  story 
is,  that  Muawiyah,  overhearing  the  song,  sent  back  the  singer  to  her 
cousins  and  beloved  wilds.  Maysunah  departed,  with  her  son  Yezid, 
and  did  not  return  to  Damascus  till  the  “ fatted  ass”  had  joined  his 
forefathers. 

Yezid  inherited,  with  his  mother’s  talents,  all  her  contempt  for  his 
father ; at  least  the  following  quatrain,  addressed  to  Muawiyah,  and 
generally  known  in  El  Islam,  would  appear  to  argue  anything  but 
reverence : — 

“ I drank  the  water  of  the  vine — that  draught  had  power  to  rouse 

Thy  wrath,  grim  father  ! now,  indeed,  ’tis  joyous  to  carouse ! 

I’ll  drink  ! — Be  wrath  ! — I reck  not ! — Ah  ! dear  to  this  heart  of 
mine 

It  is  to  scoff  a sire’s  command — to  quaff  forbidden  wine.” 


422  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

rugs,  but  not  to  sleep.  Close  by,  to  our  bane,  was  a prayer- 
ful old  gentleman,  who  began  his  devotions  at  a late  hour 
and  concluded  them  not  before  dawn.  He  reminded  me 
of  the  undergraduate  my  neighbor  at  college,  who  would 
spout  JEschylus  at  2 a.m.  Sometimes  the  chaunt  would 
grow  drowsy,  and  my  ears  would  hear  a dull  retreating 
sound ; presently,  as  if  in  self-reproach,  it  would  rise  to  a 
sharp  treble,  and  proceed  at  a rate  perfectly  appalling.  The 
coffee-houses,  too,  were  by  no  means  silent ; deep  into  the 
night  I heard  the  clapping  of  hands  accompanying  merry 
Arab  songs,  and  the  loud  shouts  of  laughter  of  the  Egyp- 
tian hemp-drinkers.  And  the  guards  and  protectors  of  the 
camp  were  not  “ Charleys  ” or  night-nurses. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 


THE  CEREMONIES  OF  THE  DAY  OF  ARAFAT. 

The  morning  of  the  13th  Sept,  was  ushered  in  by  military 
sounds  ; a loud  discharge  of  cannon  warned  us  to  arise  and 
to  prepare  for  the  ceremonies  of  this  eventful  day. 

After  ablution  and  prayer,  I proceeded  with  the  boy 
Mohammed  to  inspect  the  numerous  consecrated  sites  on 
the  44  Mountain  of  Mercy.”  In  the  first  place,  we  repaired 
to  a spot  on  rising  ground  to  the  south-east,  and  within  a 
hundred  yards  of  the  hill.  It  is  called  44  Jami  el  Sakhrah  ” 
— the  assembling  place  of  the  rock— from  two  granite  boul- 
ders upon  which  the  Prophet  stood  to  perform  “ Talbiyat.” 
There  is  nothing  but  a small  enclosure  of  dwarf  and  white- 
washed stone  walls,  divided  into  halves  by  a similar  partition, 
aud  provided  with  a niche  to  direct  prayer  towards  Meccah. 
Entering  by  steps  we  found  crowds  of  devotees  and  guardi- 
ans, who  for  a consideration  offered  mats  and  praying 
carpets.  After  two  prostrations  and  a long  supplication 
opposite  the  niche,  we  retired  to  the  inner  compartment, 
stood  upon  a boulder  and  shouted  the  Labbayk. 

Thence,  threading  our  way  through  many  obstacles  of 
tents  and  stone,  we  ascended  the  broad  flight  of  rugged 


424  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

steps  which  winds  up  the  southern  face  of  the  rocky  hill. 
Even  at  this  early  hour  it  is  crowded  with  pilgrims,  princi- 
pally Bedouins  and  Wahhabis,  who  had  secured  favorable 
positions  for  hearing  the  sermon.  Already  their  green  flag 
was  planted  upon  the  summit  close  to  Adam’s  place  of 
prayer.  About  half-way  up  I counted  sixty-six  steps,  and 
remarked  that  they  became  narrower  and  steeper.  Crowds 
of  beggars  instantly  seized  the  pilgrims’  robes  and  strove  to 
prevent  our  entering  a second  enclosure.  This  place,  which 
resembles  the  former,  except  that  it  has  but  one  compart- 
ment and  no  boulders,  is  that  whence  Mohammed  used  to 
address  his  followers,  and  here,  to  the  present  day,  the 
Khatib,  or  preacher,  in  imitation  of  the  “ Last  of  Prophets,” 
sitting  upon  a dromedary,  recites  the  Arafat  sermon. 
Here,  also,  we  prayed  a two-prostration  prayer,  and  gave 
a small  sum  to  the  guardian. 

Thence  ascending  with  increased  difficulty  to  the  hill-top, 
we  arrived  at  a large  stuccoed  platform,  with  prayer-niche 
and  a kind  of  obelisk,  mean  and  badly  built  of  lime  and  gra- 
nite stone,  whitewashed,  and  conspicuous  from  afar.  It  is 
called  the  Makam,  or  Madaa  Sayyidna  Adam.  Here  we 
performed  the  customary  ceremonies  amongst  a crowd  of 
pilgrims,  and  then  descended  the  little  hill.  Close  to  the 
plain  we  saw  the  place  where  the  Egyptian  and  Damascus 
Mahmals  stand  during  the  sermon ; and  descending  the  wall 
that  surrounds  Arafat  by  a steep  and  narrow  flight  of  coarse 
stone  steps,  on  my  right  was  the  fountain  which  supplies  the 
place  with  water. 

Our  excursion  employed  us  longer  than  the  description 
requires, — nine  o’clock  had  struck  before  we  reached  the 
plain.  All  were  in  a state  of  excitement.  Guns  fired  furi- 
ously. Horsemen  and  camel-riders  galloped  about  without 
apparent  object.  Even  the  women  and  the  children  stc*)d 
and  walked,  too  restless  even  to  sleep.  Arrived  at  the  tent, 


THE  BEST  BREED  OF  ARAB  HORSES  AT  NEJD.  425 

I was  unpleasantly  surprised  to  find  a new  visitor  in  an  old 
acquaintance,  Ali  ibn  Ya  Sin  the  Zem  Zemi.  He  had  lost 
his  mule,  and,  wandering  in  search  of  its  keeper,  he  unfor- 
tunately fell  in  with  our  party.  I had  solid  reasons  to  regret 
the  mishap — he  was  far  too  curious  and  observant  to  suit  my 
tastes.  On  the  present  occasion  he,  being  uncomfortable, 
made  us  equally  so.  Accustomed  to  all  the  terrible  “ neat- 
ness” of  an  elderly  damsel  in  Great  Britain,  a few  specks  of 
dirt  upon  the  rugs,  and  half-a-dozen  bits  of  cinder  upon  the 
ground,  sufficed  to  give  him  attacks  of  “ nerves.” 

That  day  we  breakfasted  late,  for  night  must  come  before 
we  could  eat  again.  After  midday  prayer  we  performed 
ablutions,  some  the  greater,  others  the  less,  in  preparation 
for  the  “ wukuf,”  or  standing.  From  noon  onwards  the  hum 
and  murmur  of  the  multitude  increased,  and  people  were 
seen  swarming  about  in  all  directions. 

A second  discharge  of  cannon  (about  p.  m.  3 15)  an- 
nounced the  approach  of  El  Asr,  the  afternoon  prayer,  and 
almost  immediately  we  heard  the  Naubat,  or  band,  preceding 
the  Sherif’s  procession  as  he  wended  his  way  towards  the 
mountain.  Fortunately  my  tent  was  pitched  close  to  the 
road,  so  that  without  trouble  I had  a perfect  view  of  the 
scene.  First  came  a cloud  of  mace-bearers,  who,  as  usual 
on  such  occasions,  cleared  the  path  with  scant  ceremony. 
They  were  followed  by  the  horsemen  of  the  desert,  wielding 
long  and  tufted  spears.  Immediately  behind  them  came  the 
led  horses  of  the  Sherif,  upon  which  I fixed  a curious  eye. 
All  were  highly  bred,  and  one,  a brown  ISTejdi  with  black 
points,  struck  me  as  the  perfection  of  an  Arab.  They  were 
small,  and  apparently  of  the  northern  race.*  Of  their  old 

* In  Solomon’s  time  the  Egyptian  horse  cost  150  silver  shekels, 
which,  if  the  greater  shekel  be  meant,  would  still  be  about  the  average 
price,  18/.  Abbas,  the  late  Pacha,  did  his  best  to  buy  first-rate  Arab 
stallions : on  one  occasion  he  sent  a mission  to  El  Medinah  for  1 he  sole 


426  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

crimson-velvet  caparisons  the  less  said  the  better ; no  little 
Indian  Nawab  would  show  aught  so  shabby  on  state  occa- 
sions. After  the  chargers  came  a band  of  black  slaves  on 
foot,  bearing  huge  matchlocks ; and  immediately  preceded 
by  three  green  and  twro  red  flags,  was  the  Sherif,  riding  in 
front  of  his  family  and  courtiers.  The  prince,  habited  in  a 
simple  white  Ihram,  and  bareheaded,  mounted  a mule  ; the 
only  sign  of  his  rank  was  a large  green  and  gold-embroi- 
dered umbrella,  held  over  him  by  a slave.  The  rear  was 
brought  up  by  another  troop  of  Bedouins  on  horses  and 
camels.  Behind  this  procession  were  the  tents,  whose  doors 
and  walls  were  scarcely  visible  for  the  crowd ; and  the  pic- 
turesque background  was  the  granite  hill  covered  wherever 
standing-room  was  to  be  found  with  white-robed  pilgrims 
shouting  Labbayks  and  waving  the  skirts  of  their  glistening 
garments  violently  over  their  heads. 

Slowly  the  procession  advanced  towards  the  hill.  Ex- 
actly at  the  hour  El  Asr  the  two  Mahmals  had  taken  their 

purpose  of  fetching  a rare  work  on  farriery.  Yet  it  is  doubted  whether 
he  ever  had  a first-rate  Nejdi.  A Bedouin  sent  to  Cairo  by  one  of  the 
chiefs  of  Nejd,  being  shown  by  the  viceroy’s  order  over  the  stables,  on 
being  asked  his  opinion  of  the  blood,  replied  bluntly,  to  the  great  man’s 
disgust,  that  they  did  not  contain  a single  thoroughbred.  He  added  an 
apology  on  the  part  of  his  laird  for  the  animals  he  had  brought  from 
Arabia,  saying,  that  neither  Sultan  nor  shaykh  could  procure  colts  of  the 
best  strain. 

For  none  of  these  horses  would  a staunch  admirer  of  the  long-legged 
monster  called  in  England  a thorough-bred  give  twenty  pounds.  They 
are  mere  “ rats,”  short  and  stunted,  ragged  and  fleshless,  with  rough 
coats  and  a slouching  walk.  But  the  experienced  glance  notes  at  once 
the  fine  snake-like  head,  ears  like  reeds,  wide  and  projecting  nostrils, 
large  eyes,  fiery  and  soft  alternately,  broad  brow,  deep  base  of  skull, 
wide  chest,  crooked  tail,  limbs  padded  with  muscle,  and  long  elastic 
pasterns.  And  the  animal  put  out  to  speed  soon  displays  the  wondrous 
force  of  blood.  In  fact,  when  buying  Arabs,  there  are  only  three  things 
to  be  considered — blood,  blood,  and  again  blood. 


A PKETTY  MECCAN. 


427 


station  side  by  side  on  a platform  in  the  lower  slope.  That 
of  Damascus  could  be  distinguished  as  the  narrower  and  the 
more  ornamented  of  the  pair.  The  Sherif  placed  himself 
with  his  standard-bearers  and  retinue  a little  above  the 
Mahmals,  within  hearing  of  the  preacher.  The  pilgrims 
crowded  up  to  the  foot  of  the  mountain ; the  loud  Labbayks 
of  the  Bedouins  and  Wahhabis  fell  to  a solemn  silence,  and 
the  waving  of  white  robes  ceased — a sign  that  the  preacher 
had  begun  the  Khutbat  el  Wakfah.  From  my  tent  I could 
distinguish  the  form  of  the  old  man  upon  his  camel,  but  the 
distance  was  too  great  for  ear  to  reach. 

But  how  came  I to  be  at  the  tent  ? 

A short  confession  will  explain.  They  will  shrive  m# 
who  believe  in  inspired  Spenser’s  lines : — 

“ And  every  spirit,  as  it  is  more  pure, 

And  hath  in  it  the  more  of  heavenly  light. 

So  it  the  fairer  body  doth  procure 
To  habit  in.” 

The  evil  came  of  a “ fairer  body.”  I had  prepared  en 
cachette  a slip  of  paper,  and  had  hid  in  my  Ihram  a pencil 
destined  to  put  down  the  heads  of  this  rarely  heard  dis- 
course. But  unhappily  that  red  cashmere  shawl  was  upon 
my  shoulders.  Close  to  us  sat  a party  of  fair  Meccans, 
apparently  belonging  to  the  higher  classes,  and  one  of  these 
I had  already  several  times  remarked.  She  was  a tall  girl, 
about  eighteen  years  old,  with  regular  features,  a skin 
somewhat  citrine-colored,  but  soft  and  clear,  symmetrical 
eyebrows,  the  most  beautiful  eyes,  and  a figure  all  grace. 
There  was  no  head  thrown  back,  no  straightened  neck,  no 
flat  shoulders,  nor  toes  turned  out — in  fact,  no  elegant  bar- 
barisms ; but  the  shape  was  what  the  Arabs  love, — soft, 
bending,  and  relaxed,  as  a woman’s  figure  ought  to  be. 
Unhappily  she  wore,  instead  of  the  usual  veil,  a “ Yash- 


428  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

mak”  of  transparent  muslin,  bound  round  the  face;  and 
the  chaperone,  mother,  or  duenna,  by  whose  side  she  stood, 
was  apparently  a very  unsuspicious  or  compliant  old  per- 
son. Flirtilla  fixed  a glance  of  admiration  upon  my  cash- 
mere.  I directed  a reply  with  interest  at  her  eyes.  She 
then,  by  the  usual  coquettish  gesture,  threw  back  an  inch 
or  two  of  head-veil,  disclosing  broad  bands  of  jetty  hair, 
crowning  a lovely  oval.  My  palpable  admiration  of  the 
new  charm  was  rewarded  by  a partial  removal  of  the  Yash- 
mak ; when  a dimpled  mouth  and  a rounded  chin  stood 
out  from  the  envious  muslin.  Seeing  that  my  companions 
were  safely  employed,  I ventured  upon  the  dangerous 
ground  of  raising  hand  to  forehead.  She  smiled  almost 
imperceptibly,  and  turned  away.  The  pilgrim  was  in 
ecstasy. 

The  sermon  was  then  half  over.  I resolved  to  stay 
upon  the  plain  and  see  what  Flirtilla  would  do.  Grace  to 
the  cashmere,  we  came  to  a good  understanding.  The 
next  page  will  record  my  disappointment: — that  evening 
the  pilgrim  resumed  his  soiled  cotton  cloth,  and  testily 
returned  the  red  shawl  to  the  boy  Mohammed. 

The  sermon  always  lasts  till  near  sunset,  or  about  three 
hours.  At  first  it  was  spoken  amid  profound  silence.  Then 
loud,  scattered  “ Amins”  (Amen)  and  volleys  of  Labbayks 
exploded  at  uncertain  intervals.  At  last  the  breeze  brought 
to  our  ears  a purgatorial  chorus  of  cries,  sobs,  and  shrieks. 
Even  my  party  thought  proper  to  be  affected : old  Ali 
rubbed  his  eyes,  which  in  no  case  unconnected  with  dollars 
could  by  any  amount  of  straining  be  made  to  shed  even  a 
crocodile’s  tear ; and  the  boy  Mohammed  wisely  his  hid  face 
in  the  skirt  of  his  Rida.  Presently  the  people,  exhausted 
by  emotion,  began  to  descend  the  hill  in  small  parties  ; and 
those  below  struck  their  tents  and  commenced  loading 
their  camels,  although  at  least  an  hour’s  sermon  remained. 


THE  “HURRY  FROM  ARAFAT.” 


429 


On  this  occasion,  however,  all  hurry  to  be  foremost,  as  the 
race  from  Arafat  is  enjoyed  by  none  but  the  Bedouins. 

Although  we  worked  with  a will,  our  animals  were  not 
ready  to  move  before  sunset,  when  the  preacher  gave  the 
signal  of  “ israf,”  or  permission  to  depart.  The  pilgrims, 

“ swaying  to  and  fro, 

Like  waves  of  a great  sea,  that  in  mid  shock 
Confound  each  other,  white  with  foam  and  fear,” 

rushed  down  the  hill  with  a Labbayk,  sounding  like  a blast, 
and  took  the  road  to  Muna.  Then  I saw  the  scene  which 
has  given  to  this  part  of  the  ceremonies  the  name  of  El 
Dafa  min  Arafat, — the  “ Hurry  from  Arafat.”  Every  man 
urged  his  beast  with  might  and  main : it  was  sunset ; the 
plain  bristled  with  tent-pegs,  litters  were  crushed,  pedes- 
trians trampled,  and  camels  overthrown : single  combats 
with  sticks  and  other  weapons  took  place ; — here  a woman, 
there  a child,  and  there  an  animal  were  lost;  briefly,  it 
was  a state  of  chaotic  confusion. 

To  my  disgust,  old  Ali  insisted  upon  bestowing  his 
company  upon  me.  He  gave  over  his  newly  found  mule  to 
the  boy  Mohammed,  bidding  him  take  care  of  the  beast, 
and  mounted  with  me  in  the  shugduf.  I had  persuaded 
Shaykh  Masud,  with  a dollar,  to  keep  close  in  the  rear  of 
the  pretty  Meccan ; and  I wanted  to  sketch  the  Holy  Hill. 
The  Senior  began  to  give  orders  about  the  camel — I,  coun- 
ter orders.  The  camel  was  halted.  I urged  it  on,  old  Ali 
directed  it  to  be  stopped.  Meanwhile  the  charming  face 
that  smiled  at  me  from  the  litter  grew  dimmer  and  dim- 
mer; the  more  I stormed,  the  less  I was  listened  to — a 
string  of  camels  crossed  our  path — I lost  sight  of  the  beauty. 
Then  we  began  to  advance.  Now  my  determination  to 
sketch  seemed  likely  to  fail  before  the  Zem  Zemi’s  little 
snake’s  eye.  After  a few  minutes’  angry  search  for  expe 


430  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

clients,  one  suggested  itself.  “ Effendi !”  said  old  Ali,  “ sit 
quiet ; there  is  danger  here.”  I tossed  about  like  one  suffer- 
ing from  evil  conscience  or  the  colic.  “ Effendi !”  shrieked 
the  Senior,  “ what  are  you  doing  ? You  will  be  the  death 
of  us.”  “ Wallah !”  I replied,  with  a violent  plunge,  “ it  is 
all  your  fault ! There  ! (another  plunge) — put  your  beard 
out  of  the  other  opening,  and  Allah  will  make  it  easy  to 
us.”  In  the  ecstasy  of  fear  my  tormentor  turned  his  face, 
as  he  was  bidden,  towards  the  camel’s  head.  A second 
halt  ensued,  when  I looked  out  of  the  aperture  in  rear,  and 
made  a rough  drawing  of  the  Mountain  of  Mercy. 

At  the  Akhshabayn,  double  lines  of  camels,  bristling 
with  litters,  clashed,  and  gave  a shock  more  noisy  than  the 
meeting  of  torrents.  It  was  already  dark : no  man  knew 
what  he  was  doing.  The  guns  roared  their  brazen  notes, 
re-echoed  far  and  wdde  by  the  voices  of  the  stony  hills.  A 
shower  of  rockets  bursting  in  the  air  threw  into  still  greater 
confusion  the  timorous  mob  of  women  and  children.  At 
the  same  time  martial  music  rose  from  the  masses  of  Nizam, 
and  the  stouter-hearted  pilgrims  were  not  sparing  of  their 
Labbayks,  and  “ Eed  kum  Mubarak” — may  your  festival 
be  happy ! 

After  the  pass  of  the  two  rugged  hills,  the  road  widened, 
and  old  Ali,  who,  during  the  bumping,  had  been  in  a silent 
convulsion  of  terror,  recovered  speech  and  spirits.  This 
change  he  evidenced  by  beginning  to  be  troublesome  once 
more.  Again  I resolved  to  be  his  equal.  Exclaiming, 
“ My  eyes  are  yellow  with  hunger  l”  I seized  a pot  full  of 
savory  meat  which  the  old  man  had  previously  stored  for 
supper,  and,  without  further  preamble,  began  to  eat  it 
greedily,  at  the  same  time  ready  to  shout  with  laughter  at 
the  mumbling  and  grumbling  sounds  that  proceeded  from 
the  darkness  of  the  litter.  We  were  at  least  three  hours  on 
the  road  before  reaching  Muzdalifah,  and,  being  fatigued,  we 


A NIGHT  OF  DISTURBANCE. 


431 


resolved  to  pass  the  night  there.  The  Mosque  was  brilliantly 
illuminated,  but  my  hungry  companions  apparently  thought 
more  of  supper  and  sleep  than  devotion.  Whilst  the  tent 
was  raised,  the  Indians  prepared  our  food,  boiled  our  coffee, 
filled  pipes,  and  spread  the  rugs.  Before  sleeping,  each 
man  collected  for  himself  seven  bits  of  granite,  the  size  of  a 
small  bean.  Then,  weary  with  emotion  and  exertion,  all 
lay  down  except  the  boy  Mohammed,  who  preceded  us  to 
find  encamping  ground  at  Muna.  Old  Ali,  in  lending  his 
mule,  made  the  most  stringent  arrangements  with  the 
youth  about  the  exact  place  and  the  exact  hour  of  meet- 
ing— an  act  of  simplicity  at  which  I could  not  but  smile. 
The  night  was  by  no  means  peaceful  or  silent.  Lines  of 
camels  passed  us  every  ten  minutes,  and  the  shouting  of 
travellers  continued  till  near  dawn.  Pilgrims  ought  to 
have  nighted  at  the  Mosque,  but,  as  in  Burckhardt’s  time, 
so  in  mine,  baggage  was  considered  to  be  in  danger  here- 
abouts, and  consequently  most  of  the  devotees  spent  the 
sermon  hours  in  brooding  over  their  boxes. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 


THE  CEREMONIES  OP  THE  DAY  OF  VICTIMS. 

At  dawn,  on  Wednesday,  14th  Sept.,  a gun  warned  us  to 
lose  no  time ; we  arose  hurriedly  and  started  up  the  Batn 
Muhassir  to  Muna.  By  this  means  we  lost  at  Muzdalifah 
the  “ Salat  el  Eed,”  or  “ Festival  Prayers,”  the  great 
solemnity  of  the  Moslem  year,  performed  by  all  the  com- 
munity at  day-break.  My  companion  was  so  anxious  to 
reach  Meccah,  that  he  would  not  hear  of  devotions.  About 
8 a.  m.  we  entered  the  village,  and  looked  for  the  boy  Mo- 
hammed in  vain.  Old  Ali  was  dreadfully  perplexed : a host 
of  high-born  Turkish  pilgrims  were,  he  said,  expecting  him ; 
his  mule  was  missing, — could  never  appear, — he  must  be  late, 
— should  probably  never  reach  Meccah, — what  would  be- 
come of  him  ? I began  by  administering  admonition  to  the 
mind  diseased ; but  signally  failing  in  a cure,  amused  myself 
with  contemplating  the  world  from  my  shugduf,  leaving  the 
office  of  directing  it  to  old  Ali.  Now  he  stopped,  then  he 
pressed  forward ; here  he  thought  he  saw  Mohammed,  there 
he  discovered  our  tent ; at  one  time  he  would  “ nakh”  the 
camel  to  await,  in  patience,  his  supreme  hour ; at  another, 
half  mad  with  nervousness,  he  would  urge  the  excellent 


OLD  ALI  IN  ILL-HUMOR. 


433 


Masud  to  hopeless  inquiries.  Finally,  by  good  fortune,  we 
found  one  of  the  boy  Mohammed’s  cousins,  who  led  us  to 
an  enclosure  called  Hosh  el  Uzem,  in  the  southern  portion 
of  the  Muna  Basin,  at  the  base  of  Mount  Sabir.* * * §  There 
we  pitched  the  tent,  refreshed  ourselves,  and  awaited  the 
truant’s  return.  Old  Ali,  failing  to  disturb  my  equanimity, 
attempted,  as  those  who  consort  with  philosophers  often 
will  do,  to  quarrel  with  me.  But,  finding  no  material 
wherewith  to  build  a dispute  in  such  fragments  as  44  Ah !” — 
“Hern!” — “Wallah!”  he  hinted  desperate  intentions  against 
the  boy  Mohammed.  When,  however,  the  youth  appeared, 
with  even  more  jauntiness  of  mien  than  usual,  Ali  bin  Ya 
Sin  lost  heart,  brushed  by  him,  mounted  his  mule,  and, 
doubtless  cursing  us  “under his  tongue,”  rode  away,  frown- 
ing viciously,  with  his  heels  playing  upon  the  beast’s  sides. 

Mohammed  had  been  delayed,  he  said,  by  the  difficulty 
of  finding  asses.  W e were  now  to  mount  for  44  the  throw- 
ing,”!— as  a preliminary  to  which,  we  washed  44  with  seven 
waters”  the  seven  pebbles  brought  from  Muzdalifah,  and 
bound  them  in  our  Ihrams.  Our  first  destination  was  the 
entrance  to  the  western  end  of  the  long  line  which  com- 
poses the  Muna  village.  W e found  a swarming  crowd  in  the 
narrow  road  opposite  the  44  Jamrat  el  Akabah,”J  or,  as  it  is 
vulgarly  called,  the  Shaytan  el  Kabir — the  44  Great  Devil.” 
These  names  distinguish  it  from  another  pillar,  the  44  Wusta,” 
or  “central  place”  (of  stoning),  built  in  the  middle  of 
Muna,  and  a third  at  the  eastern  end,  44  El  Ula,”  or  the 
44  first  place.”§ 

* Even  pitching  ground  here  is  charged  to  pilgrims. 

f Some  authorities  advise  that  this  rite  of  “ Ramy”  be  performed 
on  foot. 

\ The  word  “ Jamrat”  is  applied  to  the  place  of  stoning,  as  well  as 
to  the  stones. 

§ These  numbers  mark  the  successive  spots  where  the  Devil,  in  th« 
19 


434  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

The  “ Shaytan  el  Kabir”  is  a dwarf  buttress  of  rude 
masonry,  about  eight  feet  high  by  two  and  a half  broad, 
placed  against  a rough  wall  of  stones,  at  the  Meccan 
entrance  to  Muna.  As  the  ceremony  of  “Ramy,”  or 
Lapidation,  must  be  performed  on  the  first  day  by  all  the 
pilgrims  between  sunrise  and  sunset,  and  as  the  fiend  was 
malicious  enough  to  appear  in  a rugged  pass,  the  crowd 
makes  the  place  dangerous.  On  one  side  of  the  road, 
which  is  not  forty  feet  broad,  stood  a row  of  shops  belong- 
ing principally  to  barbers.  On  the  other  side  is  the  rugged 
wall  of  the  pillar,  with  a chevaux  de  frise  of  Bedouins  and 
naked  boys.  The  narrow  space  was  crowded  with  pilgrims, 
all  struggling  like  drowning  men  to  approach  as  near  as 
possible  to  the  Devil ; — it  would  have  been  easy  to  run  over 
the  heads  of  the  mass.  Amongst  them  were  horsemen 

with  rearing  chargers.  Bedouins  on  wild  camels,  and 

grandees  on  mules  and  asses,  with  outrunners,  were  break- 
ing a way  by  assault  and  battery.  I had  read  Ali  Bey’s 
sell-felicitations  upon  escaping  this  place  with  “ only  two 
wounds  in  the  left  leg,”  and  had  duly  provided  myself  with 
a hidden  dagger.  The  precaution  was  not  useless.  Scarcely 
had  my  donkey  entered  the  crowd  than  he  was  overthrown 
by  a dromedary,  and  I found  myself  under  the  stamping 
and  roaring  beast’s  stomach.  By  a judicious  use  of  the  knife, 
I avoided  being  trampled  upon,  and  lost  no  time  in  escaping 
from  a place  so  ignobly  dangerous.  Some  Moslem  travel- 
lers assert,  in  proof  of  the  sanctity  of  the  spot,  that  no 
Moslem  is  ever  killed  here : I was  assured  by  Meccans  that 
accidents  are  by  no  means  rare. 

Presently  the  boy  Mohammed  fought  his  way  out  of  the 

shape  of  an  old  Shaykh,  appeared  to  Adam,  Abraham,  and  Ishmael,  and 
was  driven  back  by  the  simple  process  taught  by  Gabriel,  of  throwing 
stones  about  the  size  of  a bean. 


THE  CEHEMON  Y OF  “ THROWING.” 


435 


crowd  with  a bleeding  nose.  We  both  sat  down  upon  a 
bench  before  a barber’s  booth,  and,  schooled  by  adversity, 
awaited  with  patience  an  opportunity.  Finding  an  opening, 
we  approached  within  about  five  cubits  of  the  place,  and 
holding  each  stone  between  the  thumb  and  the  forefinger* 
of  the  right  hand,  cast  it  at  the  pillar,  exclaiming,  “ In  the 
name  of  Allah,  and  Allah  is  Almighty ! (I  do  this)  in  hatred 
of  the  fiend  and  to  his  shame.”  After  which  came  the 
Tahlil  and  the  “ Sana,”  or  praise  to  Allah.  The  seven 
stones  being  duly  thrown,  we  retired,  and  entering  the 
barber’s  booth,  took  our  places  upon  one  of  the  earthen 
benches  around  it.  This  was  the  time  to  remove  the  Ihram 
or  pilgrim’s  garb,  and  to  return  to  Ihlal,  the  normal  state 
of  El  Islam.  The  barber  shaved  our  heads, f and,  after 
trimming  our  beards  and  cutting  our  nails,  made  us  repeat 
these  words : “ I purpose  loosening  my  Ihram  according  to 
the  practice  of  the  Prophet,  whom  may  Allah  bless  and 
preserve ! O Allah,  make  unto  me  in  every  hair,  a light,  a 
purity,  and  a generous  reward!  In  the  name  of  Allah,  and 
Allah  is  Almighty!”  At  the  conclusion  of  his  labor  the 
barber  politely  addressed  to  us  a “ISTaiman” — Pleasure  to 
you ! To  which  we  as  ceremoniously  replied,  “ Allah  give 
thee  pleasure !”  We  had  no  clothes  with  us,  but  we  could 
use  our  cloths  to  cover  our  heads  and  defend  our  feet  from 

* Some  hold  the  pebble  as  a schoolboy  does  a marble,  others  between 
the  thumb  and  forefinger  extended,  others  shoot  them  from  the  thumb 
knuckle,  and  most  men  consult  their  own  convenience. 

f The  barber  removed  all  my  hair.  Hanifis  shave  at  least  a quarter 
of  the  head,  Shafeis  a few  hairs  on  the  right  side.  The  prayer  is,  as 
usual,  differently  worded,  some  saying,  “O  Allah,  this  my  forelock  is  in 
thy  hand,  then  grant  me  for  every  hair  a light  on  Resurrection-day,  by 
thy  mercy,  O most  Merciful  of  the  Merciful !”  I remarked  that  the  hair 
was  allowed  to  lie  upon  the  ground,  whereas  strict  Moslems,  with  that 
reverence  for  man’s  body — the  Temple  of  the  Supreme — which  charac- 
terises their  creed,  carefully  bury  it  in  the  earth. 


436  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

the  fiery  sun  ; and  we  now  could  safely  twirl  our  mustachios 
and  stroke  our  beards, — placid  enjoyments  of  which  we  had 
been  deprived  by  the  laws  of  pilgrimage.  After  resting 
about  an  hour  in  the  booth,  which,  though  crowded  with 
sitting  customers,  was  delightfully  cool  compared  with  the 
burning  glare  of  the  road,  we  mounted  our  asses,  and  at 
eleven  a.  m.  started  Meccah-wards. 

This  return  from  Muna  to  Meccah  is  called  El  Kafr,  or 
the  Flight : we  did  not  fail  to  keep  our  asses  at  speed,  with 
a few  halts  to  refresh  ourselves  with  gugglets  of  water. 
There  was  nothing  remarkable  in  the  scene:  our  ride  in 
was  a repetition  of  our  ride  out.  In  about  half  an  hour  we 
entered  the  city,  and  repaired  to  the  boy  Mohammed’s 
house  for  the  purpose  of  bathing  and  preparing  to  enter 
the  Kaabah. 

Shortly  after  our  arrival,  the  youth  returned  home  in  a 
state  of  excitement,  exclaiming,  “Rise,  Effiendi!  bathe, 
dress,  and  follow  me !”  The  Kaabah,  though  open,  would 
for  a time  be  empty,  so  that  we  should  escape  the  crowd. 
My  pilgrim’s  garb,  which  had  not  been  removed,  was  made 
to  look  neat  and  somewhat  Indian,  and  we  sallied  forth 
together  without  loss  of  time. 

A crowd  had  gathered  round  the  Kaabah,  and  I had  no 
wish  to  stand  bareheaded  and  barefooted  in  the  midday 
September  sun.  At  the  cry  of  “ Open  a path  for  the  Haji 
who  would  enter  the  House,”  the  gazers  made  way.  Two 
stout  Meccans,  who  stood  below  the  door,  raised  me  in 
their  arms,  whilst  a third  drew  me  from  above  into  the 
building.  At  the  entrance  I was  accosted  by  several 
officials,  dark-looking  Meccans,  of  whom  the  darkest  and 
plainest  was  a youth  of  the  Beni  Shaybah  family,  the  true 
sangre  azul  of  El  Hejaz.  He  held  in  his  hand  the  huge 
silver-gilt  padlock  of  the  Kaabah,  and  presently  taking  his 
seat  upon  a kind  of  wooden  press  in  the  left  corner  of  the 


THE  INTERIOR  OF  THE  K.4.ABAH, 


437 


hall,  he  officially  inquired  my  name,  nation,  and  other  par- 
ticulars. The  replies  were  satisfactory,  and  the  boy  Moham- 
med was  authoritatively  ordered  to  conduct  me  round  the 
building,  and  recite  the  prayers.  I will  not  deny  that, 
looking  at  the  windowless  walls,  the  officials  at  the  door, 
and  the  crowd  below — 

“ And  the  place  death,  considering  who  I was,”  * 

my  feelings  were  of  the  trapped-rat  description  acknow- 
ledged by  the  immortal  nephew  of  his  uncle  Perez.  This 
did  not,  however,  prevent  my  carefully  observing  the  scene 
during  our  long  prayers,  and  making  a rough  plan  with  a 
pencil  upon  my  white  Ihram. 

Nothing  is  more  simple  than  the  interior  of  this  cele- 
brated building.  The  pavement,  which  is  level  with  the 
ground,  is  composed  of  slabs  of  fine  and  various  colored 
marbles,  mostly  however  white,  disposed  chequer-wise.  The 
walls,  as  far  as  they  can  be  seen,  are  of  the  same  material, 
but  the  pieces  are  irregularly  shaped,  and  many  of  them 
are  engraved  with  long  inscriptions  in  the  Suls  and  other 
modern  characters.  The  upper  part  of  the  walls,  together 
with  the  ceiling,  at  which  it  is  considered  disrespectful  to 
look,f  are  covered  with  handsome  red  damask,  flowered 
over  with  gold,  J and  tucked  up  about  six  feet  high,  so  as  to 

* However  safe  a Christian  might  be  at  Meccah,  nothing  could  pre- 
serve him  from  the  ready  knives  of  enraged  fanatics  if  detected  in  the 
House.  The  very  idea  is  pollution  to  a Moslem. 

f I do  not  know  the  origin  of  this  superstition ; but  it  would  be  un- 
safe for  a pilgrim  to  look  fixedly  at  the  Kaabah  ceiling.  Under  the 
arras  I was  told  is  a strong  planking  of  Saj,  or  Indian  teak,  and  above 
it  a stuccoed  Sath,  or  flat  roof. 

% Exactly  realising  the  description  of  our  English  bard : — 

“ Goodly  arras  of  great  majesty, 

Woven  with  gold  and  silk  so  close  and  nere, 

That  the  rich  metal  lurked  pr  vily, 

As  feigning  to  be  hid  from  envious  eye.” 


438  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

be  removed  from  pilgrims’  hands.  The  ceiling  is  upheld  by 
three  cross-beams,  whose  shapes  appear  under  the  arras : 
they  rest  upon  the  eastern  and  western  walls,  and  are  sup- 
ported in  the  centre  by  three  columns  about  twenty  inches 
in  diameter,  covered  with  carved  and  ornamented  aloe 
wood.  At  the  Iraki  corner  there  is  a dwarf  door,  called 
Bab  el  Taubah  (of  repentance),  leading  into  a narrow  pas- 
sage built  for  the  staircase  by  which  the  servants  ascend  to 
the  roof : it  is  never  opened  except  for  working  purposes. 
The  “ Aswad  ” or  “ As’ad  ” corner  is  occupied  by  a flat- 
topped  and  quadrant-shaped  press  or  safe  in  which  at  times 
is  placed  the  key  of  the  Kaabah.  Both  door  and  safe 
are  of  aloe  wood.  Between  the  columns  and  about  nine 
feet  from  the  ground  ran  bars  of  a metal  which  I could  not 
distinguish,  and  hanging  to  them  were  many  lamps  said  to 
be  of  gold.  This  completes  the  upholstery  work  of  the  hall* 

Although  there  were  in  the  Kaabah  but  a few  atten- 
dants engaged  in  preparing  it  for  the  entrance  of  pilgrims, 
the  windowless  stone  walls  and  the  choked-up  door  made 
it  worse  than  the  Piombi  of  V enice ; the  perspiration 
trickled  in  large  drops,  and  I thought  with  horror  what  it 
must  be  when  filled  with  a mass  of  jostling  and  crushing 
fanatics.  Our  devotions  consisted  of  a two-prostration 
prayer,  followed  by  long  supplications  at  the  Shami  (west) 
corner,  the  Iraki  (north)  angle,  the  Yemani  (south),  and, 
lastly,  opposite  the  southern  third  of  the  back  wall.  These 
concluded,  I returned  to  the  door,  where  payment  is  made. 
The  boy  Mohammed  told  me  that  the  total  expense  would 
be  seven  dollars.  At  the  same  time  he  had  been  indulging 
aloud  in  his  favorite  rhodomontade,  boasting  of  my  great- 
ness, and  had  declared  me  to  be  an  Indian  pilgrim,  a race 
still  supposed  at  Meccah  to  be  made  of  gold.*  When  seven 

* These  Indians  are  ever  in  extremes,  paupers  or  millionaires,  and 
like  all  Moslems,  the  more  they  pay  at  Meccah  the  higher  become 


THE  FEES  ON  VISITING  THE  KAABAH. 


439 


dollars  were  tendered  they  were  rejected  with  instance. 
Expecting  something  of  the  kind,  I had  been  careful  to 
bring  no  more  than  eight.  Being  pulled  and  interpellated 
by  half  a dozen  attendants,  my  course  was  to  look  stupid, 
and  to  pretend  ignorance  of  the  language.  Presently  the 
Shaybah  youth  bethought  him  of  a contrivance.  Drawing 
forth  from  the  press  the  key  of  the  Kaabah,  he  partly 
bared  it  of  its  green-silk  gold-lettered  etui*  and  rubbed  a 
golden  knob  quatrefoil-shaped  upon  my  eyes,  in  order  to 
brighten  them.  I submitted  to  the  operation  with  good 
grace,  and  added  a dollar — my  last — to  the  former  offering. 
The  Sherif  received  it  with  a hopeless  glance,  and,  to  my 
satisfaction,  would  not  put  forth  his  hand  to  be  kissed. 
Then  the  attendants  began  to  demand  vails.  I replied  by 
opening  my  empty  pouch.  When  let  down  from  the  door 
by  the  two  brawny  Meccans  I was  expected  to  pay  them, 
and  accordingly  appointed  to  meet  them  at  the  boy  Moham- 
med’s house  ; an  arrangement  to  which  they  grumblingly 
assented.  When  delivered  from  these  troubles,  I was  con- 
gratulated by  my  sharp  companion  thus  : “ Wallah,  Effendi ! 
thou  hast  escaped  well ! some  men  have  left  their  skins  be- 
hind.” 

All  pilgrims  do  not  enter  the  Kaabah,  and  may  refuse 
to  do  so  for  religious  reasons.  Umar  Effendi,  for  instance, 

their  character  and  religious  titles.  A Turkish  Pacha  seldom  squanders 
60  much  money  as  does  a Moslem  merchant  from  the  far  East.  Khuda- 
baksh,  the  Lahore  shawl-dealer,  owned  to  have  spent  800£  in  feastings 
and  presents.  He  appeared  to  consider  that  sum  a trifle,  although,  had 
a debtor  carried  off  one  tithe  of  it,  his  health  would  have  been  seriously 
affected. 

* The  cover  of  the  key  is  made,  like  Abraham’s  veil,  of  three  colors, 
red,  black,  or  green.  It  is  of  silk,  embroidered  with  golden  letters,  and 
upon  it  are  written  the  Bismillah,  the  name  of  the  reigning  Sultan, 
“ Bag  of  the  key  of  the  holy  Kaabah,”  and  a verselet  from  the  “Family 
of  Amran  ” (Koran,  ch.  3). 


440  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINA!!  AND  MECCAH. 

who  never  missed  a pilgrimage,  had  never  seen  the  interior. 
Those  who  tread  the  hallowed  floor  are  bound,  among 
many  other  things,  never  again  to  walk  barefooted,  to  take 
up  fire  with  the  fingers,  or  to  tell  lies.  Most  really  consci- 
entious men  cannot  afford  the  luxuries  of  slippers,  tongs, 
and  truth.  Lying  to  the  Oriental  is  meat  and  drink,  and 
the  roof  that  covers  him. 

The  Kaabah  had  been  dressed  in  her  new  attire  when 
we  entered.*  The  covering,  however,  instead  of  being 
secured  at  the  bottom  to  the  metal  rings  in  the  basement, 
was  tucked  up  by  ropes  from  the  roof  and  depended  over 
each  face  in  two  long  tongues.  It  was  of  a brilliant  black, 
and  the  Hizam — the  zone  or  golden  band  running  round 
the  upper  portion  of  the  building — as  well  as  the  Burka 
(face-veil)  were  of  dazzling  brightness. 

The  origin  of  this  custom  must  be  sought  in  the  ancient 
practice  of  typifying  the  church  visible  by  a virgin  or  bride. 
The  poet  Ab  el  Rahim  el  Burai,  in  one  of  his  Gnostic  effu- 
sions, has  embodied  the  idea : — 

“ And  Meccah’s  bride  ( i . e.  the  Kaabah)  appeareth  decked  with  (miracu- 
lous) signs.” 

This  idea  doubtless  led  to  the  face-veil,  the  covering, 
and  the  guardianship  of  eunuchs. 

The  Meccan  temple  was  first  dressed  as  a mark  of  honor 
by  Tubba  the  Himyarite  when  he  Judaised.  If  we  accept 
this  fact,  which  is  vouched  for  by  oriental  history,  we  are 
led  to  the  conclusion  that  the  children  of  Israel  settled  at 

* The  use  of  the  feminine  pronoun  is  explained  below.  When  un- 
clothed, the  Kaabah  is  called  Uryanah  (naked),  in  opposition  to  its  nor- 
mal state,  “ Muhramah,”  or  clad  in  Ihram.  In  Burckhardt’s  time  the 
house  remained  naked  for  fifteen  days;  and  now  the  investiture  is 
effected  in  a few  hours. 


THE  KISWAH. 


441 


Meccah  had  connected  the  temple  with  their  own  faith, 
and  as  a corollary,  that  the  prophet  of  El  Islam  introduced 
their  apocryphal  traditions  into  his  creed.  The  pagan 
Arabs  did  not  remove  the  coverings : the  old  and  torn 
Kiswah  was  covered  with  a new  cloth,  and  the  weight 
threatened  to  crush  the  building.  From  the  time  of  Kusay, 
the  Kaabah  was  veiled  by  subscription,  till  Abu  Rabiat  el 
Mughayrah  bin  Abdullah,  who  having  acquired  great 
wealth  by  commerce,  offered  to  provide  the  Kiswah  on 
alternate  years,  and  thereby  gained  the  name  of  El  Adi. 
The  Prophet  preferred  a covering  of  fine  Yemen  cloth, 
and  directed  the  expense  to  be  defrayed  by  the  Bait  el 
Mai,  or  public  treasury.  Umar  chose  Egyptian  linen, 
ordering  the  Kiswah  to  be  renewed  every  year,  and  the 
old  covering  to  be  distributed  among  the  pilgrims.  In  the 
reign  of  Usman  the  Kaabah  was  twice  clothed,  in  winter 
and  summer.  For  the  former  season  it  received  a Kamis, 
or  Tobe  (shirt  of  brocade),  with  an  Izar,  or  veil ; for  the 
latter  a suit  of  fine  linen.  Muawiyah  at  first  supplied  linen 
and  brocade ; he  afterwards  exchanged  the  former  for 
striped  Yemen  stuff,  and  ordered  Shaybah  bin  Usman  to 
strip  the  Kaabah,  and  perfume  the  walls  with  Khaluk. 
Shaybah  divided  the  old  Kiswah  among  the  pilgrims,  and 
Abdullah  bin  Abbas  did  not  object  to  this  distribution.* 
The  Caliph  Maamum  (9th  century)  ordered  the  dress  to  be 
changed  three  times  a year.  In  his  day  it  was  red  brocade 
on  the  10th  Muharram;  fine  linen  on  the  1st  Rajab ; and 
w’hite  brocade  on  the  1st  Shawwal.  At  last  he  was  in- 
formed that  the  veil  applied  on  the  10th  of  Muharram  was 

* Ayisha  also,  when  Shaybah  proposed  to  bury  the  old  Kiswah,  that 
it  might  not  be  worn  by  the  impure,  directed  him  to  sell  it,  and  to  dis- 
tribute the  proceeds  to  the  poor.  The  Meccans  still  follow  the  first  half, 
but  neglect  the  other  part  of  the  order  given  by  the  “ Mother  of  the 
Moslems.’*  To  the  present  day  they  continue  to  sell  it. 

19? 


412  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

too  closely  followed  by  the  red  brocade  in  the  next  month, 
and  that  it  required  renewing  on  the  1st  of  Shawwal.  This 
he  ordered  to  be  done.  El  Mutawakkil  (9th  century), 
when  informed  that  the  dress  was  spoiled  by  pilgrims,  at 
first  ordered  two  to  be  given,  and  the  brocade  shirt  to  be 
let  down  as  far  as  the  pavement ; at  last  he  sent  a new  veil 
every  two  months.  During  the  Caliphat  of  the  Abassides 
this  investiture  came  to  signify  sovereignty  in  El  Hejaz, 
which  passed  alternately  from  Baghdad  to  Egypt  and 
Yemen.  When  the  Holy  Land  fell  under  the  power  of  the 
Usmanli,  Sultan  Selim  ordered  the  Kiswah  to  be  black,  and 
his  son,  Sultan  Sulayman  the  magnificent  (10th  century), 
devoted  considerable  sums  to  the  purpose.  In  El  Idrisi’s 
time  (12th  century)  the  Kiswah  was  composed  of  black 
silk,  and  renewed  every  year  by  the  Caliph  of  Baghdad. 
Ibn  Jubair  writes  that  it  was  green  and  gold.  The  Kiswah 
remained  with  Egypt  when  Sultan  Kalaun  (13th  century) 
conveyed  the  rents  of  two  villages,  “ Baysus”  and  “ Sind- 
bus,”  to  the  expense  of  providing  an  outer  black  and  inner 
red  curtain  for  the  Kaabah,  and  hangings  for  the  Prophet’s 
tomb  at  El  Medinah.  The  Kiswah  was  afterwards  renewed 
at  the  accession  of  each  Sultan.  And  the  Wahhabi, 
during  the  first  year  of  their  conquest,  covered  the  Kaabah 
with  a red  Kiswah  of  the  same  stuff  as  the  fine  Arabian 
Aba  or  cloak,  and  made  at  El  Hasa. 

The  Kiswah  is  now  worked  at  a cotton  manufactory 
called  El  Khurunfish,  of  the  Tumn  Bab  el  Shaariyah,  Cairo. 
It  is  made  by  a hereditary  family,  called  the  Bait  el  Sadi, 
and,  as  the  specimen  in  my  possession  proves,  it  is  a coarse 
tissue  of  silk  and  cotton  mixed.  The  Kiswah  is  composed 
of  eight  pieces — two  for  each  face  of  the  Kaabah— the 
seams  being  concealed  by  the  Hizam,  a broad  band,  which 
at  a distance  looks  like  gold  ; it  is  lined  with  white  calico, 
and  supplied  with  cotton  ropes.  Anciently  it  is  said  all 


THE  BOY  MOHAMMED’S  MOTHER. 


443 


the  Koran  was  interwoven  into  it.  Now,  it  is  inscribed, 
“ Verily,  the  first  of  houses  founded  for  mankind  (to  wor- 
ship in)  is  that  at  Bekkah ; blessed  and  a direction  to  all 
creatures  ; ” together  with  seven  chapters,  namely,  the 
Cave,  Mariam,  the  Family  of  Amran,  Repentance,  T.  H. 
with  Y.  S.  and  Tabarak.  The  character  is  that  called  Tu- 
mar,  the  largest  style  of  Eastern  calligraphy,  legible  from  a 
considerable  distance.  The  Hizam  is  a band  about  two 
feet  broad,  and  surrounding  the  Kaabali  at  two-thirds  of  its 
height.  It  is  divided  into  four  pieces,  which  are  sewn  toge- 
ther. On  the  first  and  second  is  inscribed  the  “ Throne 
verselet,”  and  on  the  third  and  fourth  the  titles  of  the 
reigning  Sultan.  These  inscriptions  are,  like  the  Burka,  or 
door  curtain,  gold  worked  into  red  silk,  by  the  Bait  el  Sadi. 
When  the  Kiswah  is  ready  at  Khurunfish,  it  is  carried  in 
procession  to  the  Mosque  El  Hasanayn,  where  it  is  lined, 
sewn,  and  prepared  for  the  journey. 

After  quitting  the  Kaabah,  I returned  home  exhausted, 
and  washed  with  henna  and  warm  water,  to  mitigate  the 
pain  of  the  sun-scalds  upon  my  arms,  shoulders,  and  breast. 
The  house  was  empty,  all  the  Turkish  pilgrims  being  still 
at  Muna,  and  the  old  lady  received  me  with  peculiar  atten- 
tion. I was  ushered  into  an  upper  room,  whose  teak  wain- 
scotings,  covered  with  Cufic  and  other  inscriptions,  large 
carpets,  and  ample  diwans,  still  showed  a ragged  splendor. 
The  family  had  “ seen  better  days,”  the  Sherif  Ghalib  having 
confiscated  three  of  its  houses ; but  it  is  still  proud,  and 
cannot  merge  the  past  into  the  present.  In  the  “ drawing- 
room,” which  the  Turkish  colonel  occupied  when  at  Mec- 
cah,  the  Kabirah  supplied  me  with  a pipe,  coffee,  cold 
water,  and  breakfast.  I won  her  heart  by  praising  the 
graceless  boy  Mohammed ; like  all  mothers,  she  dearly 
loved  the  scamp  of  the  family.  When  he  entered,  and  saw 
his  maternal  parent  standing  near  me,  with  only  the  end  of 


444  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

her  veil  drawn  over  her  mouth,  he  began  to  scold  her  with 
divers  insinuations.  “ Soon  thou  wilt  sit  amongst  the  men 
in  the  hall ! ” he  exclaimed.  “ O,  my  son,”  rejoined  the 
Kabirah,  “ fear  Allah,  thy  mother  is  in  years ! ” — and  truly 
she  was  so,  being  at  least  fifty.  “ A-a-h ! ” sneered  the 
youth,  who  had  formed,  as  boys  of  the  world  must  do,  or 
appear  to  do,  a very  low  estimate  of  the  sex.  The  old 
lady  understood  the  drift  of  the  exclamation,  and  departed 
with  a half  laughing  “ may  Allah  disappoint  thee ! ” She 
soon,  however,  returned,  bringing  me  water  for  ablution ; 
and  having  heard  that  I had  not  yet  sacrificed  a sheep  at 
Muna,  enjoined  me  to  return  and  perform  without  delay 
that  important  rite. 

After  resuming  our  laical  toilette,  and  dressing  gaily  for 
the  great  festival,  we  mounted  our  asses  about  the  cool  of 
the  afternoon,  and  returning  to  Muna,  found  the  tent  full 
of  visitors.  We  sat  down,  and  chatted  together  for  an 
hour ; and  I afterwards  learned  from  the  boy  Mohammed, 
that  all  had  pronounced  me  to  be  an  “ Ajemi.”  After 
their  departure  we  debated  about  the  victim,  which  is  only 
a Sunn  at,  or  Practice  of  the  Prophet.  It  is  generally  sacri- 
ficed immediately  after  the  first  lapidation,  and  we  had 
already  been  guilty  of  delay.  Under  these  circumstances, 
and  considering  the  meagre  condition  of  my  purse,  I would 
not  buy  a sheep,  but  contented  myself  with  watching  my 
neighbors.  They  gave  themselves  great  trouble,  especially 
a large  party  of  Indians  pitched  near  us,  to  buy  the  victim 
cheap ; but  the  Bedouins  were  not  less  acute,  and  he  was 
happy  who  paid  less  than  a dollar  and  a quarter.  Some 
preferred  contributing  to  buy  a lean  ox.  None  but  the 
Sherif  and  the  principal  dignitaries  slaughtered  camels. 
The  pilgrims  dragged  their  victims  to  a smooth  rock  near 
the  Akabah,  above  which  stands  a small  open  pavilion, 
whose  sides,  red  with  fresh  blood,  showed  that  the  prince 


THE  BASIN  OF  MUNA. 


445 


and  liis  attendants  had  been  busy  at  sacrifice.  Others 
stood  before  their  tents,  and,  directing  the  victim’s  face 
towards  the  Kaabah,  cut  its  throat,  ejaculating  “ Bismil- 
lah  ! Allahu  Akbar ! ” The  boy  Mohammed  sneeringly 
directed  my  attention  to  the  Indians,  who,  being  a mild 
race,  had  hired  an  Arab  butcher  to  do  the  deed  of  blood ; 
and  he  aroused  all  Shaykh  Nur’s  ire  by  his  taunting  com- 
ments upon  the  chicken-heartedness  of  the  men  of  Hind. 
It  is  considered  a meritorious  act  to  give  away  the  victim 
without  eating  any  portion  of  its  flesh.  Parties  of  Takruri 
might  be  seen,  sitting  vulture-like,  contemplating  the  sheep 
and  goats  ; and  no  sooner  was  the  signal  given,  than  they 
fell  upon  the  bodies,  and  cut  them  up  without  removing 
them.  The  surface  of  the  valley  soon  came  to  resemble  the 
dirtiest  slaughter-house,  and  my  prescient  soul  drew  bad 
auguries  for  the  future. 

We  had  spent  a sultry  afternoon  in  the  basin  of  Muna, 
which  is  not  unlike  a volcanic  crater.  Towards  night  the 
occasional  puffs  of  simoom  ceased,  and  through  the  air  of 
deadly  stillness  a mass  of  purple  nimbus,  bisected  by  a thin 
grey  line  of  mist-cloud,  rolled  down  upon  us  from  the  Taif 
hills.  When  darkness  gave  the  signal,  most  of  the  pilgrims 
pressed  towards  the  square  in  front  of  the  Muna  mosque,  to 
enjoy  the  pyrotechnics  and  the  discharge  of  cannon.  But 
during  the  spectacle  came  on  a windy  storm,  whose  light- 
nings, flashing  their  fire  from  pole  to  pole,  paled  the 
rockets,  and  whose  thunderings,  re-echoed  by  the  rocky 
hills,  drowned  the  puny  artillery  of  man.  We  were  disap- 
pointed in  our  hopes  of  rain.  A few  huge  drops  pattered 
upon  the  plain  and  sank  into  its  thirsty  entrails  ; all  the  rest 
was  thunder  and  lightning,  dust-clouds  and  whirlwind. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 


THE  DAYS  OF  DRYING  FLESH. 

All  was  dull  after  the  excitement  of  the  Great  Festival. 
The  heat  of  the  night  succeeding  rendered  every  effort  to 
sleep  abortive ; and  as  our  little  camp  required  a guard  in 
a place  so  celebrated  for  plunderers,  I spent  the  great  part 
of  the  time  sitting  in  the  clear  pure  moonlight. 

After  midnight*  we  again  repaired  to  the  Devils,  and, 
beginning  with  the  Ula,  or  first  pillar,  at  the  eastern  extre- 
mity of  Muna,  threw  at  each  7 stones  (making  a total  of  21), 
with  the  ceremonies  before  described. 

On  Thursday  we  arose  before  dawn,  and  prepared  with 
a light  breakfast  for  the  fatigues  of  a climbing  walk.  After 
half  an  hour  spent  in  hopping  from  boulder  to  boulder,  we 
arrived  at  a place  situated  on  the  lower  declivity  of  Jebel 

* It  is  not  safe  to  perform  this  ceremony  at  an  early  hour,  although 
the  ritual  forbids  it  being  deferred  after  sunset.  A crowd  of  women, 
however,  assembled  at  the  Devils  in  the  earlier  part  of  the  11th  night 
(our  10th);  and  these  dames,  despite  the  oriental  modesty  of  face-veils, 
attack  a stranger  with  hands  and  stones  as  heartily  as  English  hop-ga- 
therers hasten  to  duck  the  Acteon  who  falls  in  their  way.  Hence,  popular 
usage  allows  stones  to  be  thrown  by  the  men  until  the  morning  prayers 
of  the  11th  Zu’l  Hijjah. 


THE  HEJAZI  APES. 


447 


Sabir,  the  northern  wall  of  the  Muna  basin.  Here  is  the 
Majarr  el  Kabsh,  “ the  Draggigg-place  of  the  Ram;”  a 
small  whitewashed  square,  divided  into  two  compartments. 
In  the  N.E.  corner  is  a block  of  granite,  in  which  a huge 
gash,  several  inches  broad,  some  feet  deep,  and  completely 
splitting  the  stone  in  knife-shape,  notes  the  spot  where 
Ibrahim’s  blade  fell  when  the  archangel  Gabriel  forbade 
him  to  slay  Ismail  his  son.  We  descended  by  a flight  of 
steps,  and  under  the  stifling  ledge  of  rock  found  mats  and 
praying  rugs,  which,  at  this  early  hour,  were  not  over 
crowded.  We  followed  the  example  of  the  patriarchs,  and 
prayed  a two-prostration  prayer  in  each  of  the  enclosures. 
After  distributing  the  usual  gratification,  we  left  the  place, 
and  proceeded  to  mount  the  hill,  in  hope  of  seeing  some  of 
the  apes  said  still  to  haunt  the  heights.  These  animals  are 
supposed  by  the  Meccans  to  have  been  Jews,  thus  trans- 
formed for  having  broken  the  Sabbath  by  hunting.  They 
abound  in  the  elevated  regions  about  Arafat  and  Taif,  where 
they  are  caught  by  mixing  the  juice  of  the  asclepias  and  nar- 
cotics with  dates  and  other  sweet  bait.  The  Hejazi  ape  is  a 
hideous  cynocephalus,  with  small  eyes  placed  close  together, 
and  almost  hidden  by  a disproportionate  snout ; a greenish- 
brown  coat,  long  arms,  and  a stern  of  lively  pink,  like  fresh 
meat.  They  are  docile,  and  are  said  to  be  fond  of  spirituous 
liquors,  and  to  display  an  inordinate  affection  for  women.  El 
Masud  tells  about  them  a variety  of  anecdotes.  According 
to  him,  their  principal  use  in  Hind  and  Chin  was  to  protect 
kings  from  poison  by  eating  suspected  dishes.  The  Be- 
douins have  many  tales  concerning  them.  It  is  universally 
believed  that  they  catch  and  kill  kites  by  exposing  the  pink 
portion  of  their  persons  and  concealing  the  rest : the  bird 
pounces  upon  what  appears  to  be  raw  meat,  and  presently 
finds  himself  viciously  plucked  alive.  Throughout  Arabia 
an  old  story  is  told  of  them.  A merchant  was  once  plun- 


448  A PILGEIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

dered  during  his  absence  by  a troop  of  these  apes : they 
tore  open  his  bales,  and  charmed  with  the  scarlet  hue  of  the 
tarbushes  began  applying  those  articles  of  dress  to  uses 
quite  opposite  to  their  normal  purpose.  The  merchant  was 
in  despair,  when  his  slave  offered  for  a consideration  to  re- 
cover the  goods.  Placing  himself  in  front,  like  a fugleman 
to  the  ape-company,  he  went  through  a variety  of  manoeu- 
vres with  a tarbush,  and  concluded  with  throwing  it  far 
away.  The  recruits  carefully  imitated  him,  and  the  drill 
concluded  with  his  firing  a shot : the  plunderers  decamped 
and  the  caps  were  regained. 

Failing  to  see  any  apes,  we  retired  to  the  tent  ere  the 
sun  waxed  hot,  in  anticipation  of  a terrible  day.  Nor  were 
we  far  wrong.  In  addition  to  the  heat,  we  had  swarms  of 
flies,  and  the  blood-stained  earth  began  to  reek  with  noisome 
vapors.  Nought  moved  in  the  air  except  kites  and  vul- 
tures, speckling  the  deep  blue  sky : the  denizens  of  earth 
seemed  paralysed  by  the  sun.  I spent  the  time  between 
breakfast  and  nightfall  lying  half-dressed  upon  a mat,  mov- 
ing round  the  tent-pole  to  escape  the  glare,  and  watching 
my  numerous  neighbors,  male  and  female.  The  Indians 
were  particularly  kind,  filling  my  pipe,  offering  cooled 
water,  and  performing  similar  little  offices.  I repaid  them 
with  a supply  of  provisions,  which,  at  Muna  market-prices, 
these  unfortunates  could  ill-afford. 

When  the  moon  arose  the  boy  Mohammed  and  I walk- 
ed out  into  the  town,  performed  our  second  day’s  lapida- 
tion,  and  visited  the  coffee-houses.  The  shops  were  closed 
early,  but  business  was  transacted  in  places  of  public  re- 
sort till  midnight.  We  entered  the  houses  of  numerous 
acquaintances,  who  accosted  my  companion,  and  were  hos- 
pitably welcomed  with  pipes  and  coffee.  The  first  question 
always  was  “ Who  is  this  pilgrim  ? ” and  more  than  once 
the  reply,  u An  Afghan,”  elicited  the  language  of  my  own 


BEDOUIN  DANCING. 


449 


country,  which  I could  no  longer  speak.  Of  this  phenome- 
non, however,  nothing  was  thought : many  Afghans  settled 
in  India  know  not  a word  of  Pushtu,  and  even  above  the 
Passes  many  of  the  townspeople  are  imperfectly  acquainted 
with  it.  The  Meccans,  in  consequence  of  their  extensive 
intercourse  with  strangers  and  habits  of  travelling,  are  ad- 
mirable conversational  linguists.  They  speak  Arabic  re- 
markably well,  and  with  a volubility  surpassing  the  most 
lively  of  our  continental  nations.  Persian,  Turkish,  and 
Hindostani  are  generally  known  ; and  the  Mutawwifs,  wdio 
devote  themselves  to  particular  races  of  pilgrims,  soon  be- 
come masters  of  the  language. 

Returning  homewards,  we  were  called  to  a spot  by  the 
clapping  of  hands  and  the  loud  sound  of  song.  W e found 
a crowd  of  Bedouins  surrounding  a group  engaged  in  their 
favorite  occupation  of  dancing.  The  performance  is  wild  in 
the  extreme,  resembling  rather  the  hopping  of  bears  than  the 
inspirations  of  Terpsichore.  The  bystanders  joined  in  the 
song  ; an  interminable  recitative,  as  usual  in  the  minor  key, 
and  as  Orientals  are  admirable  timists,  it  sounded  like  one 
voice.  The  refrain  appeared  to  be — 

“LdYayha!  L4Yayh4!” 

to  which  no  one  could  assign  a meaning.  At  other  times 
they  sang  something  intelligible. 

The  style  of  the  saltation,  called  Rufayhah,  rivalled  the 
song.  The  dancers  raised  both  arms  high  above  their  heads, 
brandishing  a dagger,  pistol,  or  some  other  small  weapon. 
They  followed  each  other  by  hops,  on  one  or  both  feet, 
sometimes  indulging  in  the  most  demented  leaps ; whilst  the 
bystanders  clapped  with  their  palms  a more  enlivening  mea- 
sure. This  I was  told  is  especially  their  war-dance.  They 
have  other  forms,  which  my  eyes  were  not  fated  to  see. 


450  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

Amongst  the  Bedouins  of  El  Hejaz,  unlike  the  Somali  and 
other  African  races,  the  sexes  never  mingle  : the  girls  may 
dance  together,  but  it  would  be  disgraceful  to  perform  in 
the  company  of  men. 

After  so  much  excitement  we  retired  to  rest,  and  slept 
soundly. 

On  Friday,  the  12th  Zu’l  Hijjah,  the  camels  appeared, 
according  to  order,  at  early  dawn,  and  they  were  loaded 
with  little  delay.  We  were  anxious  to  enter  Meccah  in  time 
for  the  sermon,  and  I for  one  was  eager  to  escape  the  now 
pestilential  air  of  Muna. 

Literally,  the  land  stank.  Five  or  six  thousand  animals 
had  been  slain  and  cut  up  in  this  Devil’s  Punch-bowl.  I 
leave  the  reader  to  imagine  the  rest.  The  evil  might  be 
avoided  by  building  “ abattoirs,”  or,  more  easily  still, 
by  digging  long  trenches,  or  by  ordering  all  pilgrims, 
under  pain  of  mulct,  to  sacrifice  in  the  same  place.  Un- 
happily, the  spirit  of  El  Islam  is  opposed  to  these  pre- 
cautions of  common  sense.  “ Inshallah”  and  w Kismat” 
take  the  place  of  prevention  and  cure.  And  at  Meccah, 
the  head-quarters  of  the  faith,  a desolating  attack  of  cho- 
lera is  preferred  to  the  impiety  of  “ flying  in  the  face  of 
Providence,”  and  the  folly  of  endeavoring  to  avert  inevitable 
decrees. 

Mounting  our  camels,  and  led  by  Masud,  we  entered 
Muna  by  the  eastern  end,  and  from  the  litter  threw  the 
remaining  twenty-one  stones.  I could  now  see  the  principal 
hnes  of  shops,  and,  having  been  led  to  expect  a grand  display 
of  merchandise,  was  surprised  to  find  only  mat-booths  and 
sheds,  stocked  chiefly  with  provisions.  The  exit  from  Muna 
was  crowded,  for  many,  like  ourselves,  had  fled  from  the 
revolting  scene.  I could  not  think  without  pity  of  those 
whom  religious  scruples  detained  another  day  and  a half  in 
this  foul  spot. 


THE  SERMON  AT  MECCAH. 


451 


After  entering  Meccah  we  bathed,  and  when  the  noon 
drew  nigh  we  repaired  to  the  Haram  for  the  purpose  of 
hearing  the  sermon.  Descending  to  the  cloisters  below  the 
Bab  el  Ziyadah,  I stood  wonderstruck  by  the  scene  before 
me.  The  vast  quadrangle  was  crowded  with  worshippers 
sitting  in  long  rows,  and  everywhere  facing  the  central 
black  tower : the  showy  colors  of  their  dresses  were  not  to 
be  surpassed  by  a garden  of  the  most  brilliant  flowers,  and 
such  diversity  of  detail  would  probably  not  be  seen  massed 
together  in  any  other  building  upon  earth.  The  women,  a 
dull  and  sombre-looking  group,  sat  apart  in  their  peculiar 
place.  The  Pacha  stood  on  the  roof  of  Zem  Zem,  sur- 
rounded by  guards  in  Nizam  uniform.  Where  the  principal 
ulema  stationed  themselves  the  crowd  was  thicker ; and  in 
the  more  auspicious  spots  nought  was  to  be  seen  but  a 
pavement  of  heads  and  shoulders.  Nothing  seemed  to 
move  but  a few  dervishes,  who,  censer  in  hand,  sidled 
through  the  rows  and  received  the  unsolicited  alms  of  the 
faithful.  Apparently  in  the  midst,  and  raised  above  the 
crowd  by  the  tall,  pointed  pulpit,  whose  gilt  spire  flamed  in 
the  sun,  sat  the  preacher,  an  old  man  with  snowy  beard. 
The  style  of  headdress  called  “Taylasan”*  covered  his 
turban,  which  was  white  as  his  robes,  and  a short  staff  sup- 
ported his  left  hand.  Presently  he  arose,  took  the  staff  in 
his  right  hand,  pronounced  a few  inaudible  words,  and  sat 
down  again  on  one  of  the  lower  steps,  whilst  a Muezzin,  at 
the  foot  of  the  pulpit,  recited  the  call  to  sermon.  Then  the 
old  man  stood  up  and  began  to  preach.  As  the  majestic 
figure  began  to  exert  itself  there  was  a deep  silence.  Pre- 
sently a general  “ Amin”  was  intoned  by  the  crowd  at  the 
conclusion  of  some  long  sentence.  And  at  last,  towards  the 

* A scarf  thrown  oyer  the  head,  with  one  end  brought  round  under 
the  chin  and  passed  over  the  left  shoulder,  composes  the  “ Taylasan.” 


452  A PILGBIMAGB  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

end  of  the  sermon,  every  third  or  fourth  word  was  followed 
by  the  simultaneous  rise  and  fall  of  thousands  of  voices. 

I have  seen  the  religious  ceremonies  of  many  lands,  but 
never — nowhere — aught  so  solemn,  so  impressive  as  this 
spectacle. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

LIFE  AT  MECCAH,  AND  THE  LITTLE  PILGRIMAGE. 

My  few  remaining  days  at  Meccah  sped  pleasantly.  IJmar 
Effendi  visited  me  regularly,  and  arranged  to  accompany 
me  furtively  to  Cairo.  I had  already  consulted  Mohammed 
Shiklibbha, — who  suddenly  appeared  at  Muna,  having  drop- 
ped down  from  Suez  to  Jeddah,  and  reached  Meccah  in  time 
for  pilgrimage, — about  the  possibility  of  proceeding  east- 
ward. The  honest  fellow’s  eyebrows  rose  till  they  almost 
touched  his  turban,  and  he  exclaimed  in  a roaring  voice, 
“ Wallah!  Effendi!  thou  art  surely  mad.”  Every  day  he 
brought  me  news  of  the  different  caravans.  The  Bedouins 
of  El  Hejaz  were,  he  said,  in  a ferment  caused  by  reports 
of  the  Holy  War,  want  of  money,  and  rumors  of  quarrels 
between  the  Sherif  and  the  Pacha : already  they  spoke  of  an 
attack  upon  Jeddah.  Shaykh  Masud,  the  camel-man,  with 
whom  I parted  on  the  best  of  terms,  seriously  advised  my 
remaining  at  Meccah  for  some  months  even  before  proceed- 
ing to  Sanaa.  Others  gave  the  same  counsel.  Briefly  I 
saw  that  my  star  was  not  then  in  the  ascendant,  and  resolved 
to  reserve  myself  for  a more  propitious  conjuncture  by 
returning  to  Egypt. 


454  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

The  Turkish  colonel  and  I had  become  as  friendly  as  two 
men  ignoring  each  other’s  speech  could  be.  He  had  derived 
benefit  from  some  prescription ; but,  like  all  his  countrymen, 
he  was  pining  to  leave  Meccah.*  Whilst  the  pilgrimage 
lasted,  said  they,  no  mal  de  pays  came  to  trouble  them ; 
but,  its  excitement  over,  they  could  think  of  nothing  but 
their  wives  and  children.  Long-drawn  faces  and  continual 
sighs  evidenced  nostalgia.  At  last  the  house  became  a scene 
of  preparation.  Blue  china-ware  and  basketed  bottles  of 
Zem  Zem  water  appeared  standing  in  solid  columns,  and 
pilgrims  occupied  themselves  in  hunting  for  mementos  of 
Meccah,  drawings,  combs,  balm,  henna,  tooth-sticks,  aloe- 
wood,  turquoises,  coral  and  mother-o’-pearl  rosaries,  shreds 
of  Kiswah-cloth  and  fine  Abas,  or  cloaks  of  camels’-wool. 
It  was  not  safe  to  mount  the  stairs  without  shouting 
“ Tarik  ” — out  of  the  way ! — at  every  step,  on  peril  of  meet- 
ing face  to  face  some  excited  fair.*  The  lower  floor  was 
crowded  with  provision-vendors ; and  the  staple  article  of 
conversation  seemed  to  be  the  chance  of  a steamer  from 
J eddah  to  Suez. 

W eary  of  the  wrangling  and  chaffering  of  the  hall  below, 
I had  persuaded  my  kind  hostess,  in  spite  of  the  surly  skele- 
ton her  brother,  partially  to  clear  out  a small  store-room  in 
the  first  floor,  and  to  abandon  it  to  me  between  the  hours 
of  ten  and  four.  During  the  heat  of  the  day  clothing  is  un- 
endurable at  Meccah.  The  city  is  so  “ compacted  together  ” 
by  hills,  that  even  the  simoom  can  scarcely  sweep  it,  the 
heat  reverberated  by  the  bare  rocks  is  intense,  and  the  nor- 

* Not  more  than  one-quarter  of  the  pilgrims  who  appear  at  Arafat 
go  on  to  El  Medinah ; the  expense,  the  hardships,  and  the  dangers  of 
the  journey  account  for  the  smallness  of  the  number. 

f When  respectable  married  men  live  together  in  the  same  house,  a 
rare  occurrence,  except  on  journeys,  this  most  ungallant  practice  of 
clearing  the  way  is  and  must  be  kept  up  in  the  East. 


A MELANCHOLIST. 


455 


mal  atmosphere  of  an  eastern  town  communicates  a faint 
lassitude  to  the  body  and  irritability  to  the  mind.  The 
houses  being  unusually  strong  and  well-built,  might  by 
some  art  of  thermantidote  be  rendered  cool  enough  in  the 
hottest  weather  : they  are  now  ovens.*  It  was  my  habit  to 
retire  immediately  after  the  late  breakfast  to  the  little  room 
upstairs,  to  sprinkle  it  with  water,  and  lie  down  upon  a 
mat.  In  the  few  precious  moments  of  privacy  notes  were 
committed  to  paper,  but  one  eye  was  ever  fixed  on  the 
door.  Sometimes  a patient  would  interrupt  me,  but  a doc- 
tor is  far  less  popular  in  El  Hejaz  than  in  Egypt.  The 
people,  being  more  healthy,  have  less  faith  in  physic : Shaykh 
Masud  and  his  son  had  never  tasted  in  their  lives  aught 
more  medicinal  than  green  dates  and  camels’  milk.  Occa- 
sionally the  black  slave  girls  came  into  the  room,  asking  if 
the  pilgrim  wanted  a pipe  or  a cup  of  coffee  : they  generally 
retired  in  a state  of  delight,  attempting  vainly  to  conceal 
with  a corner  of  tattered  veil  a grand  display  of  ivory  con- 
sequent upon  some  small  and  innocent  facetiousness.  The 
most  frequent  of  my  visitors  was  Abdullah,  the  Kabirah’s 
eldest  son.  This  melancholy  Jacques  had  joined  our  cara- 
van at  El  Hamra,  on  the  Yambu  road,  accompanied  us  to 
El  Medinah,  lived  there,  and  journeyed  to  Meccah  with  the 
Syrian  pilgrimage  ; yet  he  had  not  once  come  to  visit  me  or 
to  see  his  brother,  the  boy  Mohammed.  When  gently  re- 
proached for  this  omission  he  declared  it  to  be  his  way — that 

* I regret  being  unable  to  offer  the  reader  a sketch  of  Meccah,  or  of 
the  Great  Temple.  The  stranger  who  would  do  this  should  visit  the 
city  out  of  the  pilgrimage  season,  and  hire  a room  looking  into  the 
quadrangle  of  the  Haram.  This  addition  to  our  knowledge  is  the  more 
required,  as  our  popular  sketches  (generally  taken  from  D’Ohsson)  are 
utterly  incorrect.  The  Kaabah  is  always  a recognisable  building ; but 
the  “ View  of  Meccah  ” known  to  Europe  is  not  more  like  Meccah  than 
like  Cairo  or  Bombay. 


456  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

he  never  called  upon  strangers  until  sent  for.  He  was  a per- 
fect Saudawi  (melancholist)  in  mind,  manners,  and  personal 
appearance,  and  this  class  of  humanity  in  the  East  is  almost 
as  uncomfortable  to  the  household  as  the  idiot  of  Europe. 
I was  frequently  obliged  to  share  my  meals  with  him,  as 
his  mother — though  most  filially  and  reverentially  entreated 
— would  not  supply  him  with  breakfast  two  hours  after  the 
proper  time,  or  with  a dinner  served  up  forty  minutes 
before  the  rest  of  the  household.  Often,  too,  I had  to  curb, 
by  polite  deprecation,  the  impetuosity  of  the  fiery  old 
Kabirah’s  tongue.  Thus  Abdullah  and  I became  friends, 
after  a fashion.  He  purchased  several  little  articles  required, 
and  never  failed  to  pass  hours  in  my  closet,  giving  me  much 
information  about  the  country,  deploring  the  laxity  of 
Meccan  morals,  and  lamenting  that  in  these  evil  days  his 
countrymen  had  forfeited  their  name  at  Cairo  and  Constan- 
tinople. His  curiosity  about  the  English  in  India  was  great, 
and  I satisfied  it  by  praising,  as  a Moslem  would,  their 
“ politike,”  their  even-handed  justice,  and  their  good  star. 
Then  he  would  inquire  into  the  truth  of  a fable  extensively 
known  on  the  shores  of  the  Mediterranean  and  the  Red  Sea. 
The  English,  it  is  said,  sent  a mission  to  Mohammed,  inquir- 
ing into  his  doctrines,  and  begging  that  Khalid  bin  Walid 
might  be  sent  to  proselytise  them.  Unfortunately,  the 
envoys  arrived  too  late — the  Prophet’s  soul  had  winged  its 
way  to  Paradise.  An  abstract  of  the  Moslem  scheme  was, 
however,  sent  to  the  “Ingreez,”  who  declined,  as  the  founder 
of  the  new  faith  was  no  more,  to  abandon  their  own 
religion ; but  the  refusal  was  accompanied  with  expressions 
of  regard.  For  this  reason  many  Moslems  in  Barbary  and 
other  countries  hold  the  English  to  be,  of  all  “ People  of  the 
Books,”  the  best  inclined  towards  them. 

Late  in  the  afternoon  I used  to  rise,  perform  ablution, 
and  repair  to  the  Haram,  or  wander  about  the  bazaars  till 


THE  CITIZENS  OF  MECCAH. 


457 


sunset.  After  this  it  was  necessary  to  return  home  and 
prepare  for  supper — dinner  it  would  be  called  in  the  West. 
The  meal  concluded,  I used  to  sit  for  a time  outside  the 
street  door  in  great  dignity,  upon  a broken-backed  black- 
wood  chair,  traditionally  said  to  have  been  left  in  the  house 
by  one  of  the  princes  of  Delhi,  smoking  a hookah,  and 
drinking  sundry  cups  of  strong  green  tea  with  a slice  of 
lime,  a fair  substitute  for  milk.  At  this  hour  the  seat  was 
as  in  a theatre,  but  the  words  of  the  actors  were  of  a nature 
somewhat  too  Fescennine  for  the  public.  After  nightfall 
we  either  returned  to  the  Haram  or  retired  to  rest.  Our 
common  dormitory  was  the  flat  roof  of  the  house  ; under 
each  cot  stood  a water-gugglet ; and  all  slept,  as  must  be 
done  in  the  torrid  lands,  on  and  not  in  bed. 

I sojourned  at  Meccah  but  a short  time,  and,  as  usual 
with  travellers,  did  not  see  the  best  specimens  of  the  popu- 
lation. The  citizens  appeared  to  me  more  civilised  and 
more  vicious  than  those  of  El  Medinah.  They  often  leave — 

“ Home,  where  small  experience  grows,’* 

and — “ qui  multum  peregrinatur , raro  sanctificatur  ” — be- 
come a worldly-wise,  God-forgetting,  and  Mammonish  sort 
of  folk.  The  pilgrim  is  forbidden,  or  rather  dissuaded, 
from  abiding  at  Meccah  after  the  rites,  and  wisely.  Great 
emotions  must  be  followed  by  a reaction.  And  he  who 
stands  struck  by  the  first  aspect  of  Allah’s  house,  after  a 
few  months,  the  marvel  becoming  stale,  sweeps  past  it  with 
indifference  or  something  worse. 

There  is,  however,  little  at  Meccah  to  offend  the  eye. 
Like  certain  other  nations  further  west,  a layer  of  ashes 
overspreads  the  fire  : the  mine  is  concealed  by  a green  turf 
fair  to  look  upon.  It  is  only  when  wandering  by  starlight 
through  the  northern  outskirts  of  the  town  that  men  may 

20 


458  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINA!!  AND  MECCAH. 

be  seen  with  light  complexions  and  delicate  limbs,  coarse 
turbans  and  Egyptian  woollen  robes,  speaking  disguise  and 
the  purpose  of  disguise.  No  one  within  the  memory  of 
man  has  suffered  the  penalty  of  immorality.  Spirituous 
liquors  are  no  longer  sold,  as  in  Burckhardt’s  day,  in  shops ; 
and  some  Arnaut  officers  assured  me  that  they  found  con- 
siderable difficulty  in  smuggling  flasks  of  “ raki”  from 
Jeddah. 

The  Meccan  is  a darker  man  than  the  Medinite.  The 
people  exjilain  this  by  the  heat  of  the  climate.  I rather 
believe  it  to  be  caused  by  the  number  of  female  slaves  that 
find  their  way  into  the  market.  Gallas,  Sawahilis,  a few 
Somalis,  and  Abyssinians,  are  embarked  at  Suakin,  Zayla, 
Tajurrah,  and  Berbera,  carried  in  thousands  to  Jeddah,  and 
the  Holy  City  has  the  pick  of  each  batch.  Thence  the 
stream  sets  northward,  a small  current  towards  El  Medinah, 
and  the  main  line  to  Egypt  and  Turkey.  Most  Meccans 
have  black  concubines,  and,  as  has  been  said,  the  appear- 
ance of  the  Sherif  is  almost  that  of  a negro.  I did  not  see 
one  handsome  man  in  the  Holy  City,  although  some  of  the 
women  appeared  to  me  beautiful.  The  male  profile  is  high 
and  bony,  the  forehead  recedes,  and  the  head  rises  unplea- 
santly towards  the  region  of  firmness.  In  most  families 
male  children,  when  forty  days  old,  are  taken  to  the 
Kaabah,  prayed  over,  and  carried  home,  where  the  barber 
draws  with  a razor  three  parallel  gashes  down  the  fleshy 
portion  of  each  cheek,  from  the  exterior  angles  of  the  eyes 
almost  to  the  corners  of  the  mouth.  These  “ mashali,”  as 
they  ^fe  called,*  may  be  of  modern  date : the  citizens 

* The  act  is  called  “ Tashrit,”  or  gashing.  The  body  is  also  marked, 
but  with  smaller  cuts,  so  that  the  child  is  covered  with  blood.  Ali  Bey 
was  told  by  some  Meccans  that  the  face-gashes  served  for  the  purpose 
of  phlebotomy,  by  others  that  they  were  signs  that  the  scarred  was  the 
servant  of  Allah’s  house.  He  attributes  this  male-gashing,  like  female 


CHARACTER  OF  THE  MECCANS. 


459 


declare  that  the  custom  was  unknown  to  their  ancestors. 
I am  tempted  to  assign  to  it  a high  antiquity.”  In  point 
of  figure  the  Meccan  is  somewhat  coarse  and  lymphatic. 
The  young  men  are  rather  stout  and  athletic,  but  in  middle 
age — when  man  “ swills  and  swells” — they  are  apt  to  dege- 
nerate into  corpulence. 

The  Meccan  is  a covetous  spendthrift.  His  wealth, 
lightly  won,  is  lightly  prized.  Pay,  pension,  stipends,  pre- 
sents, and  the  “ Ikram”  here,  as  at  El  Medinah,  supply  the 
citizen  with  the  means  of  idleness.  With  him  everything 
is  on  the  most  expensive  scale,  his  marriage,  his  religious 
ceremonies,  and  his  household  expenses.  His  house  is 
luxuriously  furnished,  entertainments  are  frequent,  and  the 
junketings  of  the  women  make  up  a heavy  bill  at  the  end 
of  the  year.  It  is  a common  practice  for  the  citizen  to 
anticipate  the  pilgrimage  season  by  falling  into  the  hands 
of  the  usurer.  If  he  be  in  luck,  he  catches  and  “skins” 
one  or  more  of  the  richest  Hajis.  On  the  other  hand, 
should  fortune  fail  him,  he  will  feel  for  life  the  effect  of 
interest  running  on  at  the  rate  of  at  least  50  per  cent.,  the 
simple  and  the  compound  forms  of  which  are  equally  fami- 
liar to  the  wily  Sarraf.* 

tattooing,  to  coquetry.  The  citizens  told  me  that  the  custom  arose  from 
the  necessity  of  preserving  children  from  the  kidnapping  Persians,  and 
that  it  is  preserved  as  a mark  of  the  Holy  City.  But  its  wide  diffusion 
denotes  an  earlier  origin.  Mohammed  expressly  forbad  his  followers 
to  mark  the  skin  with  scars.  These  “ beauty-marks”  are  common  to 
the  nations  in  the  regions  to  the  west  of  the  Red  Sea.  The  Barabarah 
of  Upper  Egypt  adorn  their  faces  with  scars  exactly  like  the  Meccans. 
The  Abyssinians  moxa  themselves  in  hecatombs  for  fashion’s  sake.  I 
have  seen  cheeks  gashed,  as  in  the  Holy  City,  among  the  Gallas. 
Certain  races  of  the  Sawahil  trace  around  the  head  a corona  of  little 
cuts,  like  those  of  a cupping  instrument.  And,  to  quote  no  other  instances, 
some  Somalis  raise  ghastly  seams  upon  their  chocolate-colored  skins. 

* The  Indian  “Shroff” — banker,  money-changer,  and  usurer. 


460  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

The  most  unpleasant  peculiarities  of  the  Meccans  are 
their  pride  and  coarseness  of  language.  They  look  upon 
themselves  as  the  cream  of  earth’s  sons,  and  resent  with 
extreme  asperity  the  least  slighting  word  concerning  the 
Holy  City  and  its  denizens.  They  plume  themselves  upon 
their  holy  descent,  their  exclusion  of  infidels,  their  strict 
fastings,  their  learned  men,  and  their  purity  of  language. 
In  fact,  their  pride  shows  itself  at  every  moment ; but  it  is 
not  the  pride  which  makes  a man  too  proud  to  do  a dirty 
action.  My  predecessor  did  not  remark  their  scurrility : he 
seems,  on  the  contrary,  rather  to  commend  them  for 
respectability  in  this  point.  If  he  be  correct,  the  present 
generation  has  degenerated.  The  Meccans  appeared  to  me 
distinguished,  even  in  this  foul-mouthed  East,  by  the  supe- 
rior licentiousness  of  their  language.  Abuse  was  bad 
enough  in  the  streets,  but  in  the  house  it  became  intole- 
rable. The  Turkish  pilgrims  remarked,  but  they  were  too 
proud  to  take  notice  of  it.  The  boy  Mohammed  and  one  of 
his  tall  cousins  at  last  transgressed  the  limits  of  my  endur- 
ance. They  had  been  abusing  each  other  vilely  one  day  at 
the  house-door  about  dawn,  when  I administered  the  most 
open  reprimand : 44  In  my  country  (Afghanistan)  we  hold 
this  to  be  the  hour  of  prayer,  the  season  of  good  thoughts, 
when  men  remember  Allah  ; even  the  Kafir  doth  not  begin 
the  day  with  curses  and  abuse.”  The  people  around  ap- 
proved, and  even  the  offenders  could  not  refrain  from  say- 
ing, 44  Thou  hast  spoken  truth,  O Effendi ! ” Then  the  by- 
standers began,  as  usual,  to  44  improve  the  occasion.”  44  See,” 
they  exclaimed,  44  this  Sulaymani  gentleman,  he  is  not  the 
son  of  a Holy  City,  and  yet  he  teacheth  you— ye,  the 
children  of  the  Prophet ! — repent  and  fear  Allah  ! ” They 
replied,  44  Verily  we  do  repent,  and  Allah  is  a pardoner  and 
the  merciful ! ” — were  silent  for  an  hour,  and  then  abused 
each  other  more  foully  than  before.  Yet  it  is  a good  point 


MECCAN  AND  CHRISTIAN  SUPERSTITIONS. 


461 


in  the  Meccan  character,  that  it  is  open  to  reason,  can  con- 
fess itself  in  error,  and  displays  none  of  that  doggedness  of 
vice  which  distinguishes  the  sinner  of  a more  stolid  race. 
Like  the  people  of  Southern  Europe,  the  Semite  is  easily 
managed  by  a jest : though  grave  and  thoughtful,  he  is  by 
no  means  deficient  in  the  sly  wit  which  we  call  humor, 
and  the  solemn  gravity  of  his  words  contrasts  amusingly 
with  his  ideas.  He  particularly  excels  in  the  Cervantic 
art,  the  spirit  of  which,  says  Sterne,  is  to  clothe  low  sub- 
jects in  sublime  language.  In  Mohammed’s  life  we  find 
that  he  by  no  means  disdained  a joke,  sometimes  a little 
hasarde , as  in  the  case  of  the  Paradise-coveting  old  woman. 
The  other  redeeming  qualities  of  the  Meccan  are  his 
courage,  his  bonhomie,  his  manly  suavity  of  manners,  his 
fiery  sense  of  honor,  his  strong  family  affections,  his  near 
approach  to  what  we  call  patriotism,  and  his  general  know- 
ledge : the  reproach  of  extreme  ignorance  which  Burck- 
hardt  directs  against  the  Holy  City  has  long  ago  sped  to  the 
limbo  of  things  that  were.  The  dark  half  of  the  picture  is 
pride,  bigotry,  irreligion,  greed  of  gain,  immorality,  and 
prodigal  ostentation. 

Of  the  pilgrimage  ceremonies  I cannot  speak  harshly. 
It  may  be  true  that  “ the  rites  of  the  Kaabah,  emasculated 
of  every  idolatrous  tendency,  still  hang  a strange  unmean- 
ing shroud  around  the  living  theism  of  Islam.”  But  what 
nation,  either  in  the  West  or  the  East,  has  been  able  to  cast 
out  from  its  ceremonies  every  suspicion  of  its  old  idolatry  ? 
What  are  the  English  mistletoe,  the  Irish  wake,  the  Par- 
don of  Brittany,  the  Carnival  and  the  W orship  at  Iserna  ? 
Better  far  to  consider  the  Meccan  pilgrimage  rites  in  the 
light  of  Evil-worship  turned  into  lessons  of  Good  than  to 
philosophise  about  their  strangeness,  and  to  err  in  asserting 
them  to  be  insignificant.  Even  the  Bedouin  circumambu- 
lating the  Kaabah  fortifies  his  wild  belief  by  the  fond 


462  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

thought  that  he  treads  the  path  of  “ Allah’s  friend.”  At 
Arafat  the  good  Moslem  worships  in  imitation  of  the  “ Pure 
of  Allah * and  when  hurling  stones  and  curses  at  three 
senseless  little  buttresses  which  commemorate  the  appear- 
ance of  the  fiend,  the  materialism  of  the  action  gives  to 
its  sentiment  all  the  strength  and  endurance  of  reality. 
The  supernatural  agencies  of  pilgrimage  are  carefully  and 
sparingly  distributed.  The  angels  who  restore  the  stones 
from  Muna  to  Muzdalifah,  the  heavenly  host  whose  pinions 
cause  the  Kaabah’s  veil  to  rise  and  wave,  and  the  myste- 
rious complement  of  the  pilgrims’  total  at  the  Arafat  ser- 
mon, all  belong  to  the  category  of  spiritual  creatures  walk- 
ing earth  unseen, — a poetical  tenet,  not  condemned  by 
Christianity.  The  Meccans  are,  it  is  true,  to  be  re- 
proached with  their  open  Mammon  worship,  at  times  and 
at  places  the  most  sacred  and  venerable ; but  this  has  no 
other  effect  upon  the  pilgrims  than  to  excite  disgust  and 
open  reprehension.  Here,  however,  we  see  no  such  silly 
frauds  as  heavenly  fire  drawn  from  a phosphor-match ; nor 
do  two  rival  churches  fight  in  the  flesh  with  teeth  and  nails, 
requiring  the  contemptuous  interference  of  an  infidel  power 
to  keep  order. 

As  regards  the  Meccan  and  Moslem  belief  that  Abraham 
and  his  son  built  the  Kaabah,  it  may  be  observed  that  the 
Genesitic  account  of  the  Great  Patriarch  has  suggested  to 
learned  men  the  idea  of  two  Abrahams,  one  the  son  of  Terah, 
another  the  son  of  Azar  (fire),  a Prometheus,  who  imported 
civilisation  and  knowledge  into  Arabia  from  Harran,  the 
sacred  centre  of  Sabaean  learning.  Moslem  historians  all 
agree  in  representing  Abraham  as  a star- worshipper  in  youth, 
and  Eusebius  calls  the  patriarch  son  of  Athar ; his  father’s 
name,  therefore,  is  no  Arab  invention.  Whether  Ishmael 


* Adam. 


DANGERS  OF  VISITING  MKCCAII. 


463 


or  his  sire  ever  visited  Meccah  to  build  the  Kaabah  is,  in 
my  humble  opinion,  an  open  question.  The  Jewish  Scrip- 
ture informs  us  only  that  the  patriarch  dwelt  at  Beersheba 
and  Gerar,  in  the  S.W.  of  Palestine,  without  any  allusion  to 
the  annual  visit  which  Moslems  declare  he  paid  to  their  Holy 
City.  At  the  same  time  Arab  tradition  speaks  clearly  and 
consistently  upon  the  subject,  and  generally  omits  those 
miraculous  and  superstitious  adjuncts  which  cast  shadows  of 
sore  doubts  upon  the  philosopher’s  mind.  Those  who  know 
the  habits  of  the  expatriated  Jews  and  Christians  of  the 
East — their  practice  of  connecting  all  remarkable  spots  with 
their  old  traditions — will  readily  believe  that  the  children 
of  Israel  settled  in  pagan  Meccah  saw  in  its  idolatry  some 
perverted  form  of  their  own  worship. 

The  amount  of  risk  which  a stranger  must  encounter  at 
the  pilgrimage  rites  is  still  considerable.  A learned  Orien- 
talist and  divine  intimated  his  intention,  in  a work  published 
but  a few  years  ago,  of  visiting  Meccah  without  disguise. 
He  was  assured  that  the  Turkish  governor  would  now  offer 
no  obstacle  to  a European  traveller.  I would  strongly  dis- 
suade a friend  from  making  the  attempt.  It  is  true  that  the 
Frank  is  no  longer  insulted  when  he  ventures  out  of  the 
Meccan  Gate  of  Jeddah ; and  that  our  vice-consuls  and  tra- 
vellers are  allowed,  on  condition  that  their  glance  do  not 
pollute  the  shrine,  to  visit  Taif  and  the  regions  lying  east- 
ward of  the  Holy  City.  Neither  the  Pacha  nor  the  Sherif 
would,  in  these  days,  dare  to  enforce,  in  the  case  of  an  Eng- 
lishman, the  old  law,  a choice  thrice  offered  between  cir- 
cumcision and  death.  But  the  first  Bedouin  who  caught 
sight  of  the  Frank’s  hat  would  not  deem  himself  a man  if  he 
did  not  drive  a bullet  through  the  wearer’s  head.  At  the 
pilgrimage  season  disguise  is  easy,  on  account  of  the  vast 
and  varied  multitudes  which  visit  Meccah,  exposing  the  tra- 
veller only  to  stand  the  buffet  with  knaves  who  smell  of 


464  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

sweat.”  But  woe  to  the  unfortunate  who  happens  to  be 
recognised  in  public  as  an  infidel, — unless  at  least  he  could 
throw  himself  at  once  upon  the  protection  of  the  govern- 
ment.* Amidst,  however,  a crowd  of  pilgrims,  whose  fana- 
ticism is  worked  up  to  the  highest  pitch,  detection  would 
probably  ensure  his  dismissal  at  once  al  numero  de ’ piu . 
Those  who  find  danger  the  salt  of  pleasure  may  visit  Meccah ; 
but  if  asked  whether  the  results  justify  the  risk,  I should 
reply  in  the  negative.  And  the  vice-consul  at  Jeddah  would 
only  do  his  duty  in  peremptorily  forbidding  European  tra- 
vellers to  attempt  Meccah  without  disguise,  until  the  day 
comes  when  such  steps  can  be  taken  in  the  certainty  of  not 
causing  a mishap,  which  would  not  redound  to  our  reputa- 
tion, as  we  could  not  in  justice  revenge  it. 

On  the  14th  Zu’l  Hijjah  we  started  to  perform  the  rite 
of  Umrah,  or  Little  Pilgrimage.  After  performing  ablution, 
and  resuming  the  Ihram  with  the  usual  ceremonies,  I set  out, 
accompanied  by  the  boy  Mohammed  and  his  brother  Ab- 
dullah. Mounting  asses,  which  resembled  mules  in  size  and 
speed, f we  rode  to  the  Haram,  and  prayed  there.  Again 

* The  best  way  would  be  to  rush,  if  possible,  into  a house ; and  the 
owner  would  then,  for  his  own  interest,  as  well  as  honor,  defend  a stran- 
ger till  assistance  could  be  procured. 

f Pliny  is  certainly  right  about  this  useful  quadruped  and  its  con- 
geners, the  zebra  and  the  wild  ass,  in  describing  it  as  “ animal  frigoris 
maxime  impatiens.”  It  degenerates  in  cold  regions,  unless,  as  in  Afghan- 
istan and  Barbary,  there  be  a long,  hot,  and  dry  summer.  Aden,  Cutch, 
and  Baghdad  have  fine  breeds,  whereas  those  of  India  and  south-eastern 
Africa  are  poor  and  weak.  The  best  and  the  highest-priced  come  from 
the  Maghrib,  and  second  to  them  ranks  the  Egyptian  race.  At  Meccah 
careful  feeding  and  kind  usage  transform  the  dull  slave  into  an  active 
and  symmetrical  friend  of  man : he  knows  his  owner’s  kind  voice,  and 
if  one  of  the  two  fast,  it  is  generally  the  biped.  The  asses  of  the  Holy 
City  are  tall  and  plump,  with  sleek  coats,  generally  ash  or  grey-colored, 
the  eyes  of  deers  heads  gracefully  carried,  an  ambling  gait,  and  ex- 


THE  UMRAH  OR  LITTLE  PILGRIMAGE. 


465 


remounting,  we  issued  through  the  Bab  el  Safa  towards  the 
open  country  N.E.  of  the  city.  The  way  was  crowded  with 
pilgrims,  on  foot  as  well  as  mounted,  and  their  loud  Lab- 
bayks  distinguished  those  engaged  in  the  Umrah  rite  from 
the  many  whose  business  was  with  the  camp  of  the  Damas- 
cus caravan.  At  about  half  a mile  from  the  city  we  passed 
on  the  left  a huge  heap  of  stones,  where  my  companions 
stood  and  cursed.  This  grim-looking  cairn  is  popularly 
believed  to  note  the  place  of  the  well  where  Abu  Lahab  laid 
an  ambuscade  for  the  Prophet.  This  wicked  uncle  stationed 
there  a slave,  with  orders  to  throw  headlong  into  the  pit  the 
first  person  who  approached  him,  and  privily  persuaded  his 
nephew  to  visit  the  spot  at  night : after  a time,  anxiously 
hoping  to  hear  that  the  deed  had  been  done,  Abu  Lahab 
incautiously  drew  nigh,  and  was  precipitated  by  his  own 
bravo  into  the  place  of  destruction.  Hence  the  well-known 
saying  in  Islam,  “ Whoso  diggeth  a well  for  his  brother  shall 
fall  into  it  himself.'”  We  added  our  quota  of  stones,  and 
proceeding,  saw  the  Jeddah  road  spanning  the  plain  like  a 
white  ribbon.  In  front  of  us  the  highway  was  now  lined 
with  coffee-tents,  before  which  effeminate  dancing-boys  per- 
formed to  admiring  Syrians : a small  whitewashed  “ bunga- 
low,” the  palace  of  the  Emir  el  Hajj,  lay  on  the  left,  and  all 
around  it  clustered  the  motley  encampment  of  his  pilgrims. 
After  cantering  about  three  miles  from  the  city,  we  reached 
the  Alamain,  or  two  pillars  that  limit  the  sanctuary ; and  a 
little  beyond  it,  is  the  small  settlement,  popularly  called  El 
Umrah.  Dismounting  here,  we  sat  down  on  rugs  outside  a 
coffee-tent  to  enjoy  the  beauty  of  the  moonlight  night,  and 
an  hour  of  “ Kaif”  in  the  sweet  air  of  the  desert. 

Presently  the  coffee-tent  keeper,  after  receiving  payment, 

tremely  sure-footed.  They  are  equal  to  great  fatigue,  and  the  stallions 
have  been  known,  in  their  ferocity,  to  kill  the  groom.  The  price  varies 
from  25  to  150  dollars. 


20* 


466  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

brought  us  water  for  ablution.  This  preamble  over,  we 
entered  the  principal  chapel;  an  unpretending  building, 
badly  lighted,  spread  with  dirty  rugs,  full  of  pilgrims,  and 
offensively  close.  Here  we  prayed  the  Isha,  or  night  devo- 
tions, and  then  a two-prostration  prayer  in  honor  of  the 
Ihram,  after  which  we  distributed  gratuities  to  the  guar- 
dians, and  alms  to  the  importunate  beggars.  And  now  I 
perceived  the  object  of  Abdullah’s  companionship.  The 
melancholy  man  assured  me  that  he  had  ridden  out  for  love 
of  me,  and  in  order  to  perform  as  Wakil  (substitute)  a vica- 
rious pilgrimage  for  my  parents.  Y ainly  I assured  him  that 
they  had  been  strict  in  the  exercises  of  their  faith.  He 
would  take  no  denial,  and  I perceived  that  love  of  me  meant 
love  of  my  dollars.  With  a surly  assent,  he  was  at  last  per- 
mitted to  act  for  the  “pious  pilgrims  Yusuf  (Joseph)  bin 
Ahmed  and  Fatimah  bint  Yunus,”  my  progenitors.  It  was 
impossible  to  prevent  smiling  at  contrasts,  as  Abdullah, 
gravely  raising  his  hands,  and  directing  his  face  to  the 
Kaabah,  intoned,  u I do  vow  this  Ihram  of  Umrah  in  the 
name  of  Yusuf  son  of  Ahmed,  and  Fatimah  daughter  of 
Yunus ; then  render  it  attainable  to  them,  and  accept  it  of 
them ! Bismillah ! Allahu  Akbar  !” 

Remounting,  we  galloped  towards  Meccah,  shouting 
Labbayk,  and  halting  at  every  half  mile  to  smoke  and  drink 
coffee.  In  a short  time  we  entered  the  city,  and  repairing 
to  the  Haram  by  the  Safa  Gate,  performed  the  Tawaf,  or 
circumambulation  of  Umrah.  After  this  dull  round  and 
necessary  repose  we  left  the  temple  by  the  same  exit,  and 
mounting  once  more,  turned  towards  the  hill  El  Safa,  which 
stands  about  100  yards  S.  E.  of  the  Mosque,  and  as  little 
deserves  its  name  of  “ mountain”  as  do  those  that  undulate 
the  face  of  modern  Rome.  The  Safa  end  is  closed  by  a 
mean-looking  building,  composed  of  three  round  arches, 
with  a dwarf  flight  of  steps  leading  up  to  them  out  of  a 


MARWAH. 


467 


narrow  road.  Without  dismounting,  we  wheeled  our 
donkeys  round,  “left  shoulders  forward” — no  easy  task 
in  the  crowd, — and  vainly  striving  to  sight  the  Kaabah 
through  the  Bab  el  Safa,  performed  the  Niyat,  or  the  run- 
ning. 

After  Tahlil,  Takbir,  and  Talbiyat,  we  raised  our 
hands  in  the  supplicatory  position,  and  twice  repeated, 
“There  is  no  god  but  Allah,  alone  without  partner;  his 
is  the  kingdom,  unto  him  be  praise ; he  giveth  life  and 
death,  he  is  alive  and  perisheth  not ; in  his  hand  is  good, 
and  he  over  all  things  is  omnipotent.”  Then,  with  the 
donkey-boys  leading  our  animals  and  a stout  fellow  pre- 
ceding us  with  a lantern  and  a quarter-staff  to  keep  off  the 
running  Bedouins,  camel-men,  and  riders  of  asses,  we 
descended  Safa,  and  slowly  walked  down  the  street  El 
Masaa,  towards  Mar  wall.  During  our  descent  we  recited 
aloud,  “ O Allah,  cause  me  to  act  according  to  the  Sunnat 
of  thy  Prophet,  and  to  die  in  his  faith,  and  defend  me  from 
errors  and  disobedience  by  thy  mercy,  O most  merciful 
of  the  merciful!”  Arrived  at  what  is  called  the  Batn  el 
Wady  (belly  of  the  vale),  a place  now  denoted  by  the 
Milain  el  Akhzarain  (the  two  green  pillars),  one  fixed  in 
the  eastern  course  of  the  Haram,  the  other  in  a house  on 
the  right  side,  we  began  the  running  by  urging  on  our 
beasts.  At  length  we  reached  Marwah.  The  houses  clus- 
ter in  amphitheatre  shape  above  it,  and  from  the  Masaa, 
or  street  below,  a short  flight  of  steps  leads  to  a platform, 
bounded  on  three  sides  like  a tennis  court,  by  tall  walls 
without  arches.  The  street,  seen  from  above,  has  a bow- 
string curve : it  is  between  800  and  900  feet  long,  with 
high  houses  on  both  sides,  and  small  lanes  branching  off 
from  it.  At  the  foot  of  the  platform  we  brought  the 
“ right  shoulder  forward,”  so  as  to  face  the  Kaabah,  and 
raising  hands  to  ears,  thrice  exclaimed,  “ Allahu  Akbar.” 


468  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

* 

This  concluded  the  first  course,  and,  of  these,  seven  com- 
pose the  ceremony  El  Sai,  or  the  running. 

There  was  a startling  contrast  with  the  origin  of  this 
ceremony, — 

w When  the  poor  outcast  on  the  cheerless  wild, 

Arabia’s  parent,  clasped  her  fainting  child,*’ — 

as  the  Turkish  infantry  marched,  in  European  dress,  with 
sloped  arms,  down  the  Masaa  to  relieve  guard.  By  the 
side  of  the  half-naked,  running  Bedouins,  they  looked  as  if 
epochs,  disconnected  by  long  centuries,  had  met.  A laxity* 
too,  there  was  in  the  frequent  appearance  of  dogs  upon  this 
holy  and  most  memorial  ground,  which  said  little  in  favor 
of  the  religious  strictness  of  the  administration. 

Our  Sai  ended  at  Mount  Marwah.  There  we  dismount- 
ed, and  sat  outside  a barber’s  shop,  on  the  right-hand  of  the 
street.  He  operated  upon  our  heads,  causing  us  to  repeat, 
“ O Allah,  this  my  forelock  is  in  thy  hand,  then  grant 
me  for  every  hair  a light  on  the  resurrection-day,  O most 
merciful  of  the  merciful !”  This,  and  the  praying  for  it, 
constituted  the  fourth  portion  of  the  Umrah,  or  Little 
Pilgrimage. 

Throwing  the  skirts  of  our  garments  over  our  heads,  to 
show  that  our  “Ihram”  was  now  exchanged  for  the  normal 
state,  u Ihlal,”  we  cantered  to  the  Haram,  prayed  there  a 
two-prostration  prayer,  and  returned  home  not  a little 
fatigued. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 


PLACES  OF  PIOUS  VISITATION  AT  MECCAH. 

The  lionizer  has  little  work  at  the  Holy  City.  With 
the  exceptions  of  Jebel  Nur  and  Jebel  Saur,  all  the  places 
of  pious  visitation  lie  inside  or  close  outside  the  city.  It 
is  well  worth  the  traveller’s  while  to  ascend  Abu  Kubays ; 
not  so  much  to  inspect  the  Makan  el  Hajar  and  the  Shakk 
el  Kamar,*  as  to  obtain  an  excellent  bird’s-eye  view  of  the 
Haram  and  the  parts  adjacent. 

The  boy  Mohammed  had  applied  himself  sedulously  to 
commerce  after  his  return  home;  and  had  actually  been 
seen  by  Shaykh  Xur  sitting  in  a shop  and  selling  small 
curiosities.  With  my  plenary  consent  I was  made  over  to 
Abdullah,  his  brother.  On  the  morning  of  the  19th  Sept, 
he  hired  two  asses,  and  accompanied  me  as  guide  to  the 
holy  places. 

* The  tradition  of  these  places  is  related  by  every  historian.  The 
former  is  the  repository  of  the  Black  Stone  during  the  Deluge.  The 
latter,  “splitting  of  the  moon,”  is  the  spot  where  the  Prophet  stood 
when,  to  convert  the  idolatrous  Kuraysh,  he  caused  half  of  the  orb  of 
night  to  rise  from  behind  Abu  Kubays,  and  the  other  from  Jebel  Kay- 
kaan,  on  the  western  horizon.  This  silly  legend  appears  unknown  to 
Mohammed’s  day. 


470  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

Mounting  our  animals,  we  followed  the  road  before 
described  to  the  Jannat  el  Maala,  the  sacred  cemetery  of 
Meccah.  A rough  wall,  with  a poor  gateway,  encloses  a 
patch  of  barren  and  grim-looking  ground  at  the  foot  of  the 
chain  which  bounds  the  city’s  western  suburb.  Inside  are 
a few  ignoble,  whitewashed  domes  ; all  are  of  modern  con- 
struction, for  here,  as  at  El  Bakia,  further  north,  the 
Wahabis  indulged  their  levelling  propensities.  The  rest  of 
the  ground  shows  some  small  enclosures  belonging  to  par- 
ticular houses — equivalent  to  our  family  vaults — and  the 
ruins  of  humble  tombs,  lying  in  confusion,  whilst  a few 
parched  aloes  spring  from  between  the  bricks  and  stones.* 

This  cemetery  is  celebrated  in  local  history : here  the 
body  of  Abdullah  bin  Zubayr  was  exposed  by  order  of 
Hajjaj  bin  Yusuf ; and  the  number  of  saints  buried  in  it  has 
been  so  numerous,  that  even  in  the  twelfth  century  many 
had  fallen  into  oblivion.  It  is  visited  by  the  citizens  on 
Fridays,  and  by  women  on  Thursdays,  to  prevent  that 
meeting  of  sexes  which  in  the  East  is  so  detrimental  to 
public  decorum. 

After  a long  supplication,  pronounced  standing  at  the 
doorway,  we  entered,  and  sauntered  about  the  burial- 
ground.  On  the  left  of  the  road  stood  an  enclosure,  which, 
according  to  Abdullah,  belonged  to  his  family.  The  door 
and  stone  slabs,  being  valuable  to  the  poor,  had  been 
removed,  and  the  graves  of  his  forefathers  appeared  to 
have  been  invaded  by  the  jackal.  He  sighed,  recited  a 
Fat-hah  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  and  hurried  me  away  from 
the  spot. 

The  first  dome  which  we  visited  covered  the  remains 
of  Abdel  Rahman,  the  son  of  Abubekr,  one  of  the  worthies 

* The  aloe  here,  as  in  Egypt,  is  hung,  like  the  dried  crocodile,  over 
houses  as  a talisman  against  evil  spirits. 


TOMB  OF  THE  PROPHET’S  MOTHER. 


471 


of  El  Islam,  equally  respected  by  Sunni  and  Shiah.  The 
tomb  was  a simple  catafalque,  covered  with  the  usual 
cloth.  After  performing  our  devotions  at  this  grave,  and 
distributing  a few  piastres  to  guardians  and  beggars,  we 
crossed  the  main  path,  and  found  ourselves  at  the  door  of 
the  cupola,  beneath  which  sleeps  the  venerable  Khadijah, 
Mohammed’s  first  wife.  The  tomb  was  covered  with  a 
green  cloth,  and  the  walls  of  the  little  building  were  deco- 
rated with  written  specimens  of  religious  poetry.  A little 
beyond  it,  we  were  shown  into  another  dome,  the  resting- 
place  of  Sitt  Aminah,  the  Prophet’s  mother.*  Burckhardt 
chronicles  its  ill  usage  by  the  fanatic  W ahhabis  : it  has  now 
been  rebuilt  in  that  frugal  style  which  characterises  the 
architecture  of  El  Hejaz.  An  old  woman  exceedingly  gar- 
rulous came  to  the  door,  invited  us  in,  and  superintended 
our  devotions ; at  the  end  of  which  she  sprinkled  rose-water 
upon  my  face.  When  asked  for  a cool  draught  she  handed 
me  a metal  saucer,  whose  contents  smelt  strongly  of  mastic, 
earnestly  directing  me  to  drink  it  in  a sitting  posture. 
This  tomb  she  informed  us  is  the  property  of  a single 
woman,  who  visits  it  every  evening,  receives  the  contribu- 
tions of  the  Faithful,  prays,  sweeps  the  pavement,  and 
dusts  the  furniture.  W e left  five  piastres  for  this  respectable 
maiden,  and  gratified  the  officious  crone  with  another  shil- 
ling. She  repaid  us  by  signalling  to  some  score  of  beggars 
that  a rich  pilgrim  had  entered  the  Maala,  and  their  impor- 
tunities fairly  drove  me  out  of  the  hallowed  walls. 

Leaving  the  Jannat  el  Maala,  we  returned  towards 

* Burckhardt  mentions  the  “ Tomb  of  Umna,  the  mother  of  Moham- 
med/’ in  the  Maala  at  Meccah ; and  all  the  ciceroni  agree  about  the 
locality.  Yet  historians  place  it  at  Abwa,  where  she  died,  after  visit- 
ing El  Medinah  to  introduce  her  son  to  his  relations.  And  the  learned 
believe  that  the  Prophet  refused  to  pray  over  or  to  intercede  for  his 
mother,  she  having  died  before  El  Islam  was  revealed. 


472  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

the  town,  and  halted  on  the  left  side  of  the  road,  at 
a mean  building  called  the  Masjid  el  Jinn  (of  the  Genii). 
Here  was  revealed  the  seventy-second  chapter  of  the 
Koran,  called  after  the  name  of  the  mysterious  firedrakes 
who  paid  fealty  to  the  Prophet.  Descending  a flight 
of  steps, — for  this  mosque,  like  all  ancient  localities  at 
Meccah,  is  as  much  below  as  above  ground, — we  entered 
a small  apartment  containing  water-pots  for  drinking  and 
all  the  appurtenances  of  ablution.  In  it  is  show  the 
Mauza  el  Khatt  (place  of  the  writing),  where  Moham- 
med wrote  a letter  to  Abu  Masud  after  the  homage  of 
the  genii.  A second  and  interior  flight  of  stone  steps 
led  to  another  diminutive  oratory,  where  the  Prophet 
used  to  pray  and  receive  the  archangel  Gabriel.  Hav- 
ing performed  a pair  of  prostrations,  which  caused  the 
perspiration  to  burst  forth  as  if  in  a Russian  bath,  I paid 
a few  piastres,  and  issued  from  the  building  with  much 
satisfaction. 

We  had  some  difficulty  in  urging  our  donkeys  through 
the  crowded  street,  called  the  Zukak  el  Hajar.  Presently 
we  arrived  at  the  Bait  el  Naby,  the  Prophet’s  old  house, 
in  which  he  lived  with  the  Sitt  Khadijah.  Here,  says 
Burckhardt,  the  Lady  Fatimah  first  saw  the  light ; and 
here,  according  to  Ibn  Jubair,  Hasan  and  Husayn  were 
born.  Dismounting  at  the  entrance  we  descended  a deep 
flight  of  steps,  and  found  ourselves  in  a spacious  hall, 
vaulted,  and  of  better  appearance  than  most  of  the  sacred 
edifices  at  Meccah.  In  the  centre,  and  well  railed  round, 
stood  a closet  of  rich  green  and  gold  stuffs,  in  shape  not 
unlike  an  umbrella  tent.  A surly  porter  guarded  the  closed 
door,  which  some  respectable  people  vainly  attempted  to 
open  by  honeyed  words : a whisper  from  Abdullah  solved 
the  difficulty.  I was  directed  to  lie  at  full  length  upon  my 
stomach,  and  to  kiss  a black-looking  stone — said  to  be  the 


SLAVE  TRADE  OF  EASTERN  AFRICA. 


473 


lower  half  of  the  Lady  Fatimah’s  quern — fixed  at  the  bottom 
of  a basin  of  the  same  material.  Thence  we  repaired  to  a 
corner,  and  recited  a two-prostration  at  the  place  where  the 
Prophet  used  to  pray  the  Sunnat  and  the  Nafilah,  or  super- 
erogatory devotions. 

Again  remounting,  we  proceeded  at  a leisurely  pace 
homewards,  and  on  the  way  we  passed  through  the  prin- 
cipal slave-market.  It  is  a large  street,  roofed  with  mat- 
ting and  full  oi  coffee-houses.  The  merchandise  sits  in 
rows,  parallel  with  the  walls.  The  prettiest  girls  occupied 
the  highest  benches,  below  them  were  the  plain,  and  low  est 
of  all  the  boys.  They  were  all  gaily  dressed  in  pink  and 
other  light-colored  muslins,  with  transparent  veils  over  their 
heads ; and,  whether  from  the  effect  of  such  unusual  splen- 
dor, or  from  the  reaction  succeeding  to  their  terrible  land- 
journey  and  sea-voyage,  they  appeared  perfectly  happy, 
laughing  loudly,  talking  unknown  tongues,  and  quizzing 
purchasers,  even  during  the  delicate  operation  of  purchas- 
ing. There  were  some  pretty  Gallas,  douce- looking  Abys- 
sinians,  and  Africans  of  various  degrees  of  hideousness,  from 
the  half-Arab  Somal  to  the  baboon-like  Sawahili.  The 
highest  price  of  which  I could  hear  was  60/.  And  here  I 
matured  a resolve  to  strike,  if  favored  by  fortune,  a death- 
blow at  a trade  which  is  eating  into  the  vitals  of  industry 
in  Eastern  Africa.  The  reflection  was  pleasant, — the  idea 
that  the  humble  Haji,  contemplating  the  scene  from  his 
donkey,  might  become  the  instrument  of  the  total  abolition 
of  this  pernicious  traffic.*  What  would  have  become  of 

* About  a year  since  writing  the  above  I was  informed  that  a firman 
has  been  issued  by  the  Porte  suppressing  the  traffic  from  central  Africa. 
Hitherto  we  have  respected  slavery  in  the  Red  Sea,  because  the  Turk 
thence  drew  his  supplies;  we  are  now  destitute  of  an  excuse.  A single 
steamer  would  destroy  the  trade,  and  if  we  delay  to  take  active 
measures,  the  people  of  England,  who  have  spent  millions  in  keep- 


474  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 


that  pilgrim  had  the  crowd  in  the  slave-market  guessed  his 
intentions  ? 

Passing  through  the  large  bazaar,  called  the  Suk  el 
Lail,  I saw  the  palace  of  Mohammed  bin  Aun,  quondam 
Prince  of  Meccah.  It  has  a certain  look  of  rude  magnifi- 
cence, the  effect  of  huge  hanging  balconies  scattered  in 
profusion  over  lofty  walls,  claire-voies  of  brick-work,  and 
courses  of  various-colored  stone.  The  owner  is  highly  po- 
pular among  the  Bedouins,  and  feared  by  the  citizens  on 
account  of  his  fierce  looks,  courage,  and  treachery.  They 
described  him  to  me  as  “ vir  bonus,  bene  strangulando 
peritus;”  but  Mr.  Cole,  who  knew  him  personally,  gave 
him  a high  character  for  generosity  and  freedom  from  fana- 
ticism. He  seems  to  have  some  idea  of  the  state  which 
should  “ hedge  in”  a ruler.  His  palaces  at  Meccah,  and 
that  now  turned  into  a Wakalah  at  Jeddah,  are  the  only 
places  in  the  country  that  can  be  called  princely.  He  is 
now  a state  prisoner  at  Constantinople,  and  the  Bedouins 
pray  for  his  return  in  vain.* 

ing  up  a West  African  squadron,  will  not  hold  us  guiltless  of  negli- 
gence. 

* This  man  was  first  invested  with  the  Sherifat  by  Mohammed  Ali 
of  Egypt  in  a.d.  1827,  when  Yahya,  Prince  of  Meccah,  fled,  after  stab- 
bing bis  nephew  in  the  Kaabah,  to  the  Beni  Harb  Bedouins.  He  was 
supported  by  Ahmed  Pacha  of  Meccah,  with  a large  army ; but  after 
the  battle  of  Tarabah,  in  which  Ibrahim  Pacha  was  worsted  by  the 
Bedouins,  Mohammed  bin  Aun,  accused  of  acting  as  Sylla,  was  sent  in 
honorable  bondage  to  Cairo.  He  again  returned  to  Meccah,  where  the 
rapacity  of  his  eldest  son  Abdullah,  who  would  rob  pilgrims,  caused 
fresh  misfortunes.  In  a.d.  1851,  when  Abd  el  Muttaleb  was  appointed 
Sherif,  the  Pacha  was  ordered  to  send  Bin  Aun  to  Stamboul ; no  easy 
task.  The  Turk  succeeded  by  a manoeuvre.  Mohammed’s  two  sons 
happening  to  be  at  Jeddah,  were  invited  to  inspect  a man-of-war,  and 
were  there  made  prisoners.  Thereupon  the  father  yielded  himself  up ; 
although,  it  is  said,  the  flashing  of  the  Bedouin’s  sabre  during  his  em- 
barkation made  the  Turks  rejoice  that  they  had  won  the  day  by  state- 


PLACES  OF  PIOUS  VISITATION. 


415 


The  other  places  of  pious  visitation  at  Meccah  are 
briefly  these : — 

1.  Natak  el  Naby,  a small  oratory  in  the  Zukah  el  Ha- 
jar.  It  derives  its  name  from  the  following  circumstance : 
— As  the  Prophet  was  knocking  at  the  door  of  Abubekr’s 
shop,  a stone  gave  him  God-speed,  and  told  him  that  the 
master  was  not  at  home.  This  wonderful  mineral  is  of  a 
reddish-black  color,  about  a foot  in  dimension,  and  fixed  in 
the  wrall  somewhat  higher  than  a man’s  head.  There  are 
servants  attached  to  it,  and  the  street  sides  are  spread,  as 
usual,  with  the  napkins  of  importunate  beggars. 

2.  Maulid  el  Naby,  or  the  Prophet’s  birth-place.  This 
is  a little  chapel  in  the  Suk  el  Lail,  not  far  from  Mohammed 
bin  Aun’s  palace.  It  is  below  the  present  level  of  the 
ground,  and  in  the  centre  is  a kind  of  tent,  concealing,  it  is 
said,  a hole  in  the  floor  upon  which  Aminah  sat  to  be 
delivered. 

3.  In  the  quarter  “ Shaab  Ali,”  near  the  Maulid  el  Nab y, 
is  the  birthplace  of  Ali,  another  oratory  below  the 
ground. 

4.  Near  Khadijah’s  house  and  the  Natak  el  Naby  is  a 
place  called  El  Muttaka,  from  a stone  against  which  the 
Prophet  leaned  when  worn  out  with  fatigue.  It  is  much 
visited  by  devotees ; and  some  declare  that,  on  one  occa- 
sion, when  the  Father  of  Lies  appeared  to  the  Prophet  in 
the  form  of  an  elderly  gentleman  and  tempted  him  to  sin 
by  asserting  that  the  mosque-prayers  were  over,  this  stone, 
disclosing  the  fraud,  caused  the  fiend  to  flee. 

5.  Maulid  Hamzah,  a little  building  near  the  Shebayki 
cemetery.  Here  was  the  Bazan,  or  channel  down  which 

craft.  The  wild  men  of  El  Hejaz  still  sing  songs  in  honor  of  this  Sherif, 
and  the  Sultan  will  probably  never  dismiss  a prisoner  who,  though  old, 
is  still  able  and  willing  to  cause  him  trouble. 


476  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

the  Ayn  Honayn  ran  into  the  Birkat  Majid.  Many  author 
ities  doubt  that  Hamzah  was  born  at  this  place.* 

The  reader  must  now  be  as  tired  of  “ pious  visitations” 
as  I was. 

Before  leaving  Meccah  I was  urgently  invited  to  dine 
by  old  Ali,  a proof  that  he  entertained  inordinate  expecta- 
tions, excited,  it  appeared,  by  the  boy  Mohammed,  for  the 
simple  purpose  of  exalting  his  own  dignity.  One  day  we 
were  hurriedly  summoned  about  3 p.m.  to  the  senior’s 
house,  a large  building  in  the  Zukah  el  Hajar.  We  found 
it  full  of  pilgrims,  amongst  whom  we  had  no  trouble  to 
recognise  our  fellow-travellers  the  quarrelsome  old  Arnaut 
and  his  impudent  slave-boy.  Ali  met  us  upon  the  staircase 
and  conducted  us  into  an  upper  room,  where  we  sat  upon 
divans  and  with  pipes  and  coffee  prepared  for  dinner.  Pre- 
sently the  semicircle  arose  to  receive  a eunuch,  who  lodged 
somewhere  in  the  house.  He  was  a person  of  importance, 
being  the  guardian  of  some  dames  of  high  degree  at  Cairo 
or  Constantinople : the  highest  place  and  the  best  pipe 
were  unhesitatingly  offered  to  and  accepted  by  him.  He 
sat  down  with  dignity,  answered  diplomatically  certain 
mysterious  questions  about  the  dames,  and  then  glued  his 
blubber  lips  to  a handsome  mouthpiece  of  lemon-colored 
amber.  It  was  a fair  lesson  of  humility  for  a man  to  find 
himself  ranked  beneath  this  high-shouldered,  spindle-shank- 
ed, beardless  bit  of  neutrality,  and  as  such  I took  it  duly  to 
heart. 

The  dinner  was  served  up  in  a “ Sini,”  a plated  copper 
tray  about  six  feet  in  circumference,  and  handsomely  orna- 
mented with  arabesques  and  inscriptions.  Under  this  was 
the  usual  Kursi,  or  stool,  composed  of  mother-o’-pearl  facets 

* The  reader  is  warned  that  I did  not  see  the  five  places  above 
enumerated.  The  ciceroni  and  books  mention  twelve  other  visitations, 
several  of  which  are  known  only  by  name. 


A DINNER  AT  MECCAH. 


477 


set  in  sandal  wood ; and  upon  it  a well-tinned  and  clean- 
looking service  of  the  same  material  as  the  Sini.  We  began 
with  a variety  of  stews ; stews  with  spinach,  stews  with 
bamiyah  (hibiscus),  and  rich  vegetable  stews.  These  being 
removed,  we  dipped  hands  in  “ Biryani,”  a meat  pillaw, 
abounding  in  clarified  butter;  “ Kimah,”  finely  chopped 
meat;  “ Warak  Mahshi,”  vine  leaves  filled  with  chopped 
and  spiced  mutton,  and  folded  into  small  triangles  ; 
“ Kabab,”  or  bits  of  roti  spitted  in  mouthfuls  upon  a splin- 
ter of  wood ; together  with  a u Salatah  ” of  the  crispest 
cucumber,  and  various  dishes  of  watermelon  cut  up  into 
squares.  Bread  was  represented  by  the  eastern  scone ; 
but  it  was  of  superior  flavor  and  far  better  than  the  ill- 
famed  Chapati  of  India.  Our  drink  was  water  perfumed 
with  mastic.  After  the  meat  came  a “Kunafah,”  fine 
vermicelli  sweetened  with  honey  and  sprinkled  with  pow- 
dered white  sugar ; several  stews  of  apples  and  quinces ; 
“ Nuhallibah,”  a thin  jelly  made  of  rice,  flour,  milk,  starch, 
and  a little  perfume  ; together  with  squares  of  Rahah,* 
a confiture  highly  prized  in  these  regions,  because  it  comes 
from  Constantinople.  Fruits  were  then  placed  upon  the 
table ; plates  full  of  pomegranate  grains  and  dates  of  the 
finest  flavor.  The  dinner  concluded  with  a pillaw  of  boiled 
rice  and  butter ; for  the  easier  discussion  of  which  we 
were  provided  with  carved  wooden  spoons. 

Orientals  ignore  the  delightful  French  art  of  prolonging 
a dinner.  After  washing  your  hands,  you  sit  down,  throw 

* Familiar  for  “ Rahat  el  Hulkum,” — the  pleasure  of  the  throat,— -a 
name  which  has  sorely  puzzled  our  tourists. 

This  sweetmeat  would  be  pleasant  did  it  not  smell  so  strongly  of 
the  perruquier  s shop.  Rosewater  tempts  to  many  culinary  sins  in  the 
East ; and  Europeans  cannot  dissociate  it  from  the  idea  of  a lotion. 
However,  if  a guest  is  to  be  honored,  rosewater  must  often  take  the 
place  of  the  pure  element,  even  in  tea. 


478  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

an  embroidered  najDkin  over  your  knees,  and  with  a 44  Bis- 
millah,”  by  way  of  grace,  plunge  your  hand  into  the  attrac- 
tive dish,  changing  ab  libitum , occasionally  sucking  your 
finger-tips  as  boys  do  lollipops,  and  varying  that  diversion 
by  cramming  a chosen  morsel  into  a friend’s  mouth.  When 
your  hunger  is  satisfied  you  do  not  sit  for  your  compa- 
nions ; you  exclaim  44  A1  Hamd ! ” edge  away  from  the  tray, 
wash  your  hands  and  mouth  with  soap,  display  signs  of 
repletion,  otherwise  you  will  be  pressed  to  eat  more,  seize 
your  pipe,  sip  your  coffee,  and  take  your  44  Kaif.” 

Nor  is  it  customary,  in  these  benighted  lands,  to  sit 
together  after  dinner — the  evening  prayer  cuts  short  the 
stance . Before  we  arose  to  take  leave  of  Ali  a boy  ran  into 
the  room,  and  displayed  those  infantine  civilities  which  in 
the  East  are  equivalent  to  begging  for  a present.  I slipped 
a dollar  into  his  hand  ; at  sight  of  which  he,  veritable  little 
Meccan,  could  not  contain  his  joy.  44  The  Riyal ! ” he  ex- 
claimed ; 44  the  Riyal ! look,  grandpa’,  the  good  Effendi  has 
given  me  a Riyal ! ” The  old  gentleman’s  eyes  twinkled 
with  emotion  : he  saw  how  easily  money  had  slipped  from 
my  fingers,  and  he  fondly  hoped  that  he  had  not  seen  the 
last  piece.  44  V erily  thou  art  a good  young  man  ! ” he 
ejaculated,  adding  fervently,  as  prayers  cost  nothing, 
44  May  Allah  further  all  thy  desires.”  A gentle  patting  of 
the  back  evidenced  high  approval. 

I never  saw  Ali  after  that  evening,  but  entrusted  to  the 
boy  Mohammed  what  was  considered  a just  equivalent  for 
his  services. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

TO  JEDDAH. 

A general  plunge  into  worldly  pursuits  and  pleasures  an- 
nounced the  end  of  the  pilgrimage  ceremonies.  All  the 
devotees  were  now  “ whitewashed,”  the  book  of  their  sins 
was  a tabula  rasa:  too  many  of  them  lost  no  time  in  making 
a new  departure  u down  south,”  and  in  opening  a fresh  ac- 
count.* 

The  Moslem’s  “Holy  Week”  over,  nothing  detained 
me  at  Meccah.  For  reasons  before  stated,  I resolved  upon 
returning  to  Cairo,  resting  there  for  awhile,  and  starting  a 
second  time  for  the  interior,  vid  Muwaylah.f 

* The  faith  must  not  bear  the  blame  of  the  irregularities.  They 
may  be  equally  observed  in  the  Calvinist,  after  a Sunday  of  prayer, 
sinning  through  Monday  with  a zest,  and  the  Romanist  falling  back 
with  new  fervor  upon  the  causes  of  his  confession  and  penance,  as  in 
the  Moslem  who  washes  his  soul  clean  by  running  and  circumambula- 
tion ; and,  in  fairness,  it  must  be  observed  that,  as  amongst  Christians, 
so  in  the  Moslem  persuasion,  there  are  many  notable  exceptions  to  this 
rule  of  extremes.  Several  of  my  friends  and  acquaintances  date  their 
reformation  from  their  first  sight  of  the  Kaabah. 

f This  second  plan  was  defeated  by  bad  health,  which  detained  me 
in  Egypt  till  a return  to  India  became  imperative. 


480  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

The  Meccans  are  as  fond  of  little  presents  as  are  nuns : 
the  Kabirah  took  an  affectionate  leave  of  me  ; begged  me 
to  be  careful  of  her  boy,  who  was  to  accompany  me  to 
Jeddah,  and  laid  friendly  but  firm  hands  upon  a brass 
pestle  and  mortar,  upon  which  she  had  long  cast  the  eye 
of  concupiscence. 

Having  hired  two  camels  for  thirty-five  piastres,  and 
paid  half  the  sum  in  advance,  I sent  on  my  heavy  boxes 
with  Shaykh,  now  Haji  Nur,  to  Jeddah.*  Umar  Effendi 
Avas  to  wait  at  Meccah  till  his  father  had  started,  in  com- 
mand of  the  dromedary  caravan,  when  he  would  privily 
take  ass,  join  me  at  the  port,  and  return  to  his  beloved 
Cairo.  I bade  a long  farewell  to  all  my  friends,  embracing 
the  Turkish  pilgrims,  and  mounting  on  donkeys,  the  boy 
Mohammed  and  I left  the  house.  Abdullah  the  Melancholy 
followed  us  on  foot  through  the  city,  and  took  leave  of  me, 
though  without  embracing,  at  the  Shebayki  quarter. 

Issuing  into  the  open  plain,  I felt  a thrill  of  pleasure — 
such  pleasure  as  only  the  captive  delivered  from  his  dun- 
geon can  experience.  The  sunbeams  warmed  me  into 
renewed  life  and  vigor,  the  air  of  the  desert  was  a perfume, 
and  the  homely  face  of  nature  was  as  the  smile  of  an  old 
friend.  I contemplated  the  Syrian  caravan,  lying  on  the 
right  of  our  road,  without  any  of  the  sadness  usually 
suggested  by  a last  look. 

It  is  not  my  intention  minutely  to  describe  the  line 
down  which  we  travelled  that  night : the  pages  of  Burck- 
hardt  give  full  information  about  the  country.  Leaving 
Meccah,  we  fell  into  the  direct  road  running  south  of 
Wady  Fatimah,  and  traversed  for  about  an  hour  a flat 
surrounded  by  hills.  Then  we  entered  a valley  by  a flight 

* The  usual  hire  is  thirty  piastres,  but  in  the  pilgrimage  season  a 
dollar  is  often  paid.  The  hire  of  an  ass  varies  from  one  to  three  riyals. 


A MAN  OF  MANY  TONGUES. 


481 


of  rough  stone  steps,  dangerously  slippery  and  zigzag, 
intended  to  facilitate  the  descent  for  camels  and  laden 
beasts.  About  midnight  we  passed  into  a hill-girt  Wady, 
now  covered  with  deep  sands,  now  hard  with  gravelly 
clay  ; and  finally,  about  dawn,  we  sighted  the  maritime 
plain  of  Jeddah. 

Shortly  after  leaving  the  city  our  party  was  joined  by 
other  travellers,  and  towards  evening  we  found  ourselves 
in  force,  the  effect  of  an  order  that  pilgrims  must  not 
proceed  singly  upon  this  road.  Coffee-houses  and  places 
of  refreshment  abounding,  we  halted  every  five  miles  to 
refresh  ourselves  and  the  donkeys.  At  sunset  we  prayed 
near  a Turkish  guard-house,  where  one  of  the  soldiers 
kindly  supplied  me  with  water  for  ablution. 

Before  nightfall  I was  accosted  in  Turkish,  by  a one-eyed 
old  fellow,  who, — 

“ With  faded  brow, 

Entrenched  with  many  a frown,  and  conic  beard,”— 

and  habited  in  unclean  garments,  was  bestriding  a donkey 
faded  as  himselfi  When  I shook  my  head,  he  addressed 
me  in  Persian.  The  same  manoeuvre  made  him  try  Arabic : 
still  he  obtained  no  answer.  He  then  grumbled  out  good 
Hindostani.  That  also  failing  he  tried  successively  Pushtu, 
Armenian,  English,  French,  and  Italian.  At  last  I could 
“keep  a stiff  lip”  no  longer;  at  every  change  of  dialect 

his  emphasis  beginning  with  “Then  who  the  d are 

you  ? ” became  more  emphatic.  I turned  upon  him  in 
Persian,  and  found  that  he  had  been  a pilot,  a courier,  and 
a servant  to  eastern  tourists,  and  that  he  had  visited 
England,  France,  and  Italy,  the  Cape,  India,  Central  Asia, 
and  China.  We  then  chatted  in  English,  which  Haji  Akif 
spoke  well,  but  with  all  manner  of  courier’s  phrases ; Haji 
Abdullah  so  badly,  that  he  was  counselled  a course  of  study. 

21 


482  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCA1I. 

It  was  not  a little  curious  to  hear  such  phrases  as  “ Come  ’p, 
Neddy,”  and  “ Ore  nom  d'un  baudet ,”  almost  within  ear- 
shot of  the  tomb  of  Ishmael,  the  birthplace  of  Mohammed, 
and  the  Sanctuary  of  El  Islam. 

At  about  8 p.  m.  we  passed  the  Alamain,  which  define 
the  Sanctuary  in  this  direction.  They  stand  about  nine 
miles  from  Meccah.  On  the  road,  as  night  advanced,  we 
met  long  strings  of  camels,  some  carrying  litters,  others 
huge  beams,  and  others  bales  of  coffee,  grain,  and  merchan- 
dise. Sleep  began  to  weigh  heavy  on  my  companions’  eye- 
lids, and  the  boy  Mohammed  hung  over  the  flank  of  his 
donkey  in  a most  ludicrous  position. 

About  midnight  we  reached  a mass  of  huts,  called  El 
Haddah.  At  “ the  boundary,”  which  is  considered  to  be 
the  half-way  halting-place,  pilgrims  must  assume  the  religious 
garb,  and  infidels  travelling  to  Taif,  are  taken  off  the  Mec- 
can road  into  one  leading  northwards  to  Arafat.  The  set- 
tlement is  a collection  of  huts  and  hovels,  built  with  sticks 
and  reeds,  supporting  brushwood  and  burned  and  blackened 
palm  leaves.  It  is  maintained  for  supplying  pilgrims  with 
coffee  and  water.  Travellers  speak  with  horror  of  its  heat 
during  the  day  ; Ali  Bey,  who  visited  it  twice,  compares  it 
to  a furnace.  Here  the  country  slopes  gradually  towards 
the  sea,  the  hills  draw  off,  and  every  object  denotes  de- 
parture from  the  Meccan  plateau.  At  El  Haddah  we  dis- 
mounted for  an  hour’s  halt.  A coffee-house  supplied  us 
with  mats,  water-pipes,  and  other  necessaries;  we  then  pro- 
duced a basket  of  provisions,  the  parting  gift  of  the  kind 
Kabirah,  and,  this  late  supper  concluded,  we  lay  down  to 
doze. 

After  half  an  hour’s  halt  had  expired,  and  the  donkeys 
were  saddled,  I shook  up  with  difficulty  the  boy  Moham- 
med, and  induced  him  to  mount.  He  was,  to  use  his  own 
expression,  dead  of  sleep ; and  we  had  scarcely  advanced 


A CHARACTERISTIC  ADVENTURE. 


483 


an  hour  when,  arriving  at  another  little  coffee-house,  he 
threw  himself  upon  the  ground,  and  declared  it  impossible 
to  proceed.  This  act  caused  some  confusion.  The  donkey- 
boy  was  a pert  little  Bedouin,  offensively  republican  in  man- 
ner. He  had  several  times  addressed  me  impudently,  or- 
dering me  not  to  flog  his  animal  or  to  hammer  its  sides 
with  my  heels.  On  these  occasions  he  received  a contemp- 
tuous snub,  which  had  the  effect  of  silencing  him.  But, 
now,  thinking  we  were  in  his  power,  he  swore  that  he 
would  lead  away  the  beasts,  and  leave  us  behind  to  be  rob- 
bed and  murdered.  A pinch  of  the  windpipe,  and  a spin 
over  the  ground,  altered  his  plan  at  the  outset  of  execution. 
He  gnawed  his  hand  with  impotent  rage,  and  went  away, 
threatening  us  with  the  governor  of  Jeddah  next  morning. 
Then  an  Egyptian  of  the  party  took  up  the  thread  of  re- 
monstrance ; and,  aided  by  the  old  linguist,  who  said,  in 

English,  “ By  G ! you  must  budge,  you’ll  catch  it 

here  !”  he  assumed  a brisk  and  energetic  style,  exclaiming, 
“Yallah!  rise  and  mount,  thou  art  only  losing  our  time; 
thou  dost  not  intend  to  sleep  in  the  Desert ! ” I replied, 
“ Son  of  my  uncle,  do  not  exceed  in  talk  ! ” * rolled  over  on 
the  other  side  heavily,  as  doth  Encelades,  and  pretended 
to  snore,  whilst  the  cowed  Egyptian  urged  the  others  to 
make  us  move.  The  question  was  thus  settled  by  the  boy 
Mohammed,  who  had  been  aroused  by  the  dispute  : “ Do 
you  know,”  he  whispered,  in  awful  accents,  “what  that 
person  is  ? ” and  he  pointed  at  me.  “ Why,  no,”  replied 
the  others.  “Well,”  said  the  youth,  “the  other  day  the 
Utaybah  showed  us  death  in  the  Zaribah  Pass,  and  what 
do  you  think  he  did?”  “Wallah!  what  do  we  know!” 
exclaimed  the  Egyptian.  “What  did  he  do?”  “ He  called 

* “ Fuzul”  (excess)  in  Arabic  is  equivalent  to  telling  a man  in  Eng- 
lish not  to  be  impertinent. 


484  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

for  his  dinner,”  replied  the  youth,  with  a slow  and  sarcastic 
emphasis.  That  trait  was  enough.  The  others  mounted 
and  left  us  quietly  to  sleep. 

I have  been  diffuse  in  relating  this  little  adventure, 
which  is  characteristic,  showing  what  bravado  can  do  in 
Arabia.  It  also  suggests  a lesson,  which  every  traveller  in 
these  regions  should  take  well  to  heart.  The  people  are 
always  ready  to  terrify  him  with  frightful  stories,  which  are 
the  merest  phantoms  of  cowardice.  The  reason  why  the 
Egyptian  displayed  so  much  philanthropy  was  that  had  one 
of  the  party  been  lost,  the  survivors  might  have  fallen  into 
trouble.  But  in  this  place,  we  were,  I believe, — despite  the 
declarations  of  our  companions  that  it  was  infested  with 
Turpins  and  Gasperonis, — as  safe  as  if  in  Meccah.  Every 
night,  during  the  pilgrimage  season,  a troop  of  about  fifty 
horsemen  patrols  the  roads ; we  were  all  armed  to  the  teeth, 
and  our  party  looked  too  formidable  to  be  “ cruelly  beaten 
by  a single  footpad.” 

Our  nap  concluded,  we  remounted  and  resumed  the 
weary  way  down  a sandy  valley,  in  which  the  poor  donkeys 
sank  fetlock-deep.  At  dawn  we  found  our  companions 
halted,  and  praying  at  another  little  coffee-house.  Here  an 
exchange  of  what  is  popularly  called  “ chaff”  took  place. 
“Well,”  cried  the  Egyptian,  “what  have  you  gained  by 
halting?  We  have  been  quiet  here,  praying  and  smoking 
for  the  last  hour !”  “ Go,  eat  thy  buried  beans,”*  we 

replied.  “ What  does  an  Egyptian  boor  know  of  manliness  ?” 
The  surly  donkey-boy  was  worked  up  into  a paroxysm  of 
passion  by  such  small  jokes  as  telling  him  to  convey  our 
salaams  to  the  Governor  of  Jeddah,  and  by  calling  the  asses 
after  the  name  of  his  tribe.  He  replied  by  “ foul,  unman- 

* The  favorite  Egyptian  “ kitchen held  to  be  contemptible  food 
by  the  Arabs. 


THE  WAKALAH  AT  JEDDAH. 


485 


nered,  scurril  taunts,”  which  only  drew  forth  fresh  derision, 
and  the  coffee-house  keeper  laughed  consumedly,  having 
probably  seldom  entertained  such  “ funny  gentlemen.” 

Shortly  after  leaving  we  found  the  last  spur  of  the  hills 
that  sink  into  the  Jeddah  Plain.  This  view  would  for  some 
time  be  my  last  of — 

“ Infamous  hills,  and  sandy,  perilous  wilds 

and  I contemplated  it  with  the  pleasure  of  one  escaping 
from  it.  Before  us  lay  the  usual  iron  flat  of  these  regions, 
whitish  with  salt,  and  tawny  with  stones  and  gravel ; but 
relieved  and  beautified  by  the  distant  white  walls,  whose 
canopy  was  the  lovely  blue  sea.  Not  a tree,  not  a patch  of 
verdure  was  in  sight,  nothing  distracted  our  attention  from 
the  sheet  of  turquoises  in  the  distance.  Merrily  the  little 
donkeys  hobbled  on,  in  spite  of  their  fatigue.  Soon  we  dis- 
tinguished the  features  of  the  town,  the  minarets,  the  forti- 
fications, and  a small  dome  outside  the  walls. 

The  sun  began  to  glow  fiercely,  and  we  were  not  sorry 
when,  at  about  8 a.  m.,  after  passing  through  the  mass  of 
hovels  and  coffee-houses,  cemeteries  and  sand  hills,  which 
forms  the  eastern  approach  to  Jeddah,  we  entered  the  for- 
tified Bab  Makkah.  Allowing  eleven  hours  for  our  actual 
march, — we  halted  about  three, — those  wonderful  donkeys 
had  accomplished  between  forty-four  and  forty-six  miles, 
generally  of  deep  sand,  in  one  night.  And  they  passed  the 
archway  of  Jeddah  almost  as  nimbly  as  when  they  left 
Meccah. 

Shaykh  N ur  had  been  ordered  to  take  rooms  for  me  in  a 
vast  pile  of  madrepore,  once  the  palace  of  Mohammed  bin 
Aun,  and  now  converted  into  a Wakalah.  Instead  of  so 
doing,  Indian-like,  he  had  made  a gipsy  encampment  in  the 
square  opening  upon  the  harbor.  After  administering  the 


486  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

requisite  correction,  I found  a room  that  would  suit  me. 
In  less  than  an  hour  it  was  swept,  sprinkled  with  water 
spread  with  mats,  and  made  as  comfortable  as  its  capability 
admitted.  At  Jeddah  I felt  once  more  at  home.  The  Bri- 
tish flag  was  a restorative,  and  the  sight  of  the  sea  acted  as 
a tonic.  The  Maharattas  were  not  far  wrong  when  they 
kept  their  English  captives  out  of  reach  of  the  ocean, 
declaring  that  we  are  an  amphibious  race,  to  whom  the 
wave  is  a home. 

After  a day’s  repose  at  the  caravanserai,  the  camel-mar: 
and  the  donkey-boy  clamoring  for  money,  and  I not  having 
more  than  tenpence  of  borrowed  coin,  it  was  necessary  to 
cash  at  the  British  vice-consulate  a draft  given  to  me  by  the 
Royal  Geographical  Society.  With  some  trouble  I saw  Mr. 
Cole,  who,  suffering  from  fever,  was  declared  to  be  “ not  at 
home.”  His  dragoman  did  by  no  means  admire  my  looks ; 
in  fact,  the  general  voice  of  the  household  was  against  me. 
After  some  fruitless  messages,  I sent  up  a scrawl  to  Mr. 
Cole,  who  decided  upon  admitting  the  importunate  Afghan. 
An  exclamation  of  astonishment  and  a hospitable  welcome 
followed  my  self-introduction  as  an  officer  of  the  Indian 
army.  Amongst  other  things,  the  vice-consul  informed  me 
that,  in  divers  discussions  with  the  Turks  about  the  possi- 
bility of  an  Englishman  finding  his  way  en  cachette  to  Mec- 
cah,  he  had  asserted  that  his  compatriots  could  do  every- 
thing, even  pilgrim  to  the  Holy  City.  The  Moslems  politely 
assented  to  the  first,  but  denied  the  second  part  of  the  pro- 
position. Mr.  Cole  promised  himself  a laugh  at  the  Turks’ 
beards ; but,  since  my  departure,  he  wrote  to  me  that  the 
subject  made  the  owners’  faces  look  so  serious,  that  he  did 
not  like  recurring  to  it. 

Truly  gratifying  to  the  pride  of  an  Englishman  was  our 
high  official  position  assumed  and  maintained  at  Jeddah. 
Mr.  Cole  Jiad  never  lowered  himself  in  the  estimation  of  the 


JEDDAH. 


487 


proud  race  with  which  he  has  to  deal,  by  private  or  mer- 
cantile transactions  with  the  authorities.  He  has  steadily 
withstood  the  wrath  of  the  Meccan  Sherif,  and  taught  him 
to  respect  the  British  name. 

Jeddah  has  often  been  described  by  modern  pens. 
Burckhardt  (in  a.  d.  1814)  devoted  100  pages  of  his  two 
volumes  to  the  unhappy  capital  of  the  Tehamet  el  Hejaz, 
the  lowlands  of  the  mountain  region.  When  I visited  it, 
it  was  in  a state  of  commotion,  owing  to  the  perpetual 
passage  of  pilgrims,  and  provisions  were  for  the  same  reason 
scarce  and  dear.  The  two  large  Wakalah,  of  which  the 
place  boasts,  were  crowded  with  travellers,  and  many  were 
reduced  to  encamping  upon  the  squares.  Another  subject 
of  confusion  was  the  state  of  the  soldiery.  The  Nizam, 
or  Regulars,  had  not  been  paid  for  seven  months,  and 
the  Arnauts  could  scarcely  sum  up  what  was  owing  to 
them.  Easterns  are  wonderfully  amenable  to  discipline ; 
a European  army,  under  the  circumstances,  would  proba- 
bly have  helped  itself.  But  the  Pacha  knew  that  there  is 
a limit  to  man’s  endurance,  and  he  was  anxiously  casting 
about  for  some  contrivance  that  would  replenish  the  empty 
pouches  of  his  troops.  The  worried  dignitary  must  have 
sighed  for  those  beaux  jours  when  privily  firing  the  town 
and  allowing  the  soldiers  to  plunder,  wras  the  oriental  style 
of  settling  arrears  of  pay. 

Jeddah  displays  all  the  license  of  a seaport  and  garrison 
town.  Fair  Corinthians  establish  themselves  even  within 
earshot  of  the  Karakun,  or  guard-post ; a symptom  of 
excessive  laxity  in  the  authorities,  for  it  is  the  duty  of  the 
watch  to  visit  all  such  irregularities  with  a bastinado  pre- 
paratory to  confinement.  My  guardians  and  attendants  at 
the  Wakalah  used  to  fetch  araki  in  a clear  glass  bottle, 
without  even  the  decency  of  a cloth,  and  the  messenger 
twice  returned  from  these  errands  decidedly  drunk.  More 


488  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

extraordinary  still,  the  people  seemed  to  take  no  notice  of 
the  scandal. 

The  little  “Dwarka”  had  been  sent  by  the  Bombay 
Steam  Navigation  Company  to  convey  pilgrims  from  El 
Hejaz  to  India.  I was  still  hesitating  about  my  next 
voyage,  not  wishing  to  coast  the  Red  Sea  in  this  season 
without  a companion,  when  one  morning  Umar  EfFendi 
appeared  at  the  door,  weary,  and  dragging  after  him  an 
ass  more  jaded  than  himself.  We  supplied  him  with  a pipe 
and  a cup  of  hot  tea,  and,  as  he  was  fearful  of  pursuit,  we 
showed  him  a dark  hole  full  of  grass  under  which  he  might 
sleep  concealed. 

The  student’s  fears  were  realised ; his  fhther  appeared 
early  the  next  morning,  and  having  ascertained  from  the 
porter  that  the  fugitive  was  in  the  house,  politely  called 
upon  me.  Whilst  he  plied  all  manner  of  questions,  his 
black  slave  furtively  stared  at  everything  in  and  about  the 
room.  But  we  had  found  time  to  cover  the  runaway  with 
grass,  and  the  old  gentleman  departed,  after  a fruitless 
search.  There  was,  however,  a grim  smile  about  his  mouth, 
which  boded  no  good. 

That  evening  I went  out  to  the  Hammam,  and,  return- 
ing home,  found  the  house  in  an  uproar.  The  boy  Moham- 
med, who  had  been  miserably  mauled,  was  furious  with 
rage,  and  Shaykh  Nur  was  equally  unmanageable,  by 
reason  of  his  fear.  In  my  absence  the  father  had  returned 
with  a posse  comitatus  of  friends  and  relatives.  They 
questioned  the  youth,  who  delivered  himself  of  many  cir- 
cumstantial and  emphatic  mis-statements.  Then  they  pro- 
ceeded to  open  the  boxes ; upon  which  the  boy  Mohammed 
cast  himself  sprawling,  with  a vow  to  die  rather  than  to 
endure  such  a disgrace.  This  procured  for  him  some  scat- 
tered slaps,  which  presently  became  a storm  of  blows,  when 
a prying  little  boy  discovered  Umar  Effendi’s  leg  in  the 


PARTING  FROM  THE  BOY  MOHAMMED. 


489 


hiding-place.  The  student  was  led  away  unresisting,  but 
mildly  swearing  that  he  would  allow  no  opportunity  of 
escape  to  pass.  I examined  the  boy  Mohammed,  and  was 
pleased  to  find  that  he  was  not  seriously  hurt.  To  pacify 
his  mind,  I offered  to  sally  out  with  him,  and  to  rescue 
Umar  Effendi  by  main  force.  This,  which  would  only  have 
brought  us  all  into  a brunt  with  quarter-staves,  and  similar 
servile  weapons,  was  declined,  as  had  been  foreseen.  But 
the  youth  recovered  complacency,  and  a few  well-merited 
encomiums  upon  his  “ pluck”  restored  him  to  high  spirits. 

The  reader  must  not  fancy  such  escapade  to  be  a 
serious  thing  in  Arabia.  The  father  did  not  punish  his 
son  ; he  merely  bargained  with  him  to  return  home  for  a 
few  days  before  starting  to  Egypt.  This  the  young  man 
did,  and  shortly  afterwards  I met  him  unexpectedly  in  the 
streets  of  Cairo. 

Deprived  of  my  companion,  I resolved  to  waste  no 
time  in  the  Red  Sea,  but  to  return  to  Egypt  with  the 
utmost  expedition.  The  boy  Mohammed  having  laid  in  a 
large  store  of  grain,  purchased  with  my  money,  having 
secured  all  my  disposable  articles,  and  having  hinted  that, 
after  my  return  to  India,  a present  of  twenty  dollars  would 
find  him  at  Meccah,  asked  leave,  and  departed  with  a cool- 
ness for  which  I could  not  account.  Some  days  afterwards 
Shaykh  Nur  explained  the  cause.  I had  taken  the  youth 
with  me  on  board  the  steamer,  where  a bad  suspicion 
crossed  his  mind.  “ Now,  I understand,”  said  the  boy 
Mohammed  to  his  fellow-servant,  “ your  master  is  a Sahib 
from  India,  he  hath  laughed  at  our  beards.”  He  parted  as 
coolly  from  Shaykh  Nur.  These  worthy  youths  had  been 
drinking  together,  when  Mohammed,  having  learned  at 
Stamboul  the  fashionable  practice  of  “ Bad-masti,”  or 
“ liquor-vice,”  dug  his  “ fives”  into  Nur’s  eye.  Nur  erro- 
neously considering  such  exercise  likely  to  induce  blind- 

21* 


490  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINAH  AND  MECCAH. 

ness,  complained  to  me ; but  my  sympathy  was  all  with  the 
other  side.  I asked  the  Indian  why  he  had  not  riposte,  and 
the  Meccan  once  more  overwhelmed  the  “Miyan”  with 
taunt  and  jibe. 

It  is  not  easy  to  pass  the  time  at  Jeddah.  Whilst  the 
boy  Mohammed  remained  he  used  to  pass  the  time  in 
wrangling  with  some  Indians,  who  were  living  next  door  to 
us,  men,  women,  and  children,  in  a promiscuous  way. 
After  his  departure  I used  to  spend  my  days  at  the  vice- 
consulate; the  proceeding  was  not  perhaps  of  the  safest, 
but  the  temptation  of  meeting  a fellow-countryman,  and  of 
chatting  44  shop  ” about  the  service,  was  too  great  to  be 
resisted.  I met  there  the  principal  merchants  of  Jeddah. 

I now  proceed  to  the  last  of  my  visitations.  Outside 
the  town  of  Jeddah  lies  no  less  a personage  than  Sittna 
Hawwa,  the  Mother  of  mankind.  The  boy  Mohammed  and 
I,  mounting  asses  one  evening,  issued  through  the  Meccan 
gate,  and  turned  towards  the  north-east  over  a sandy  plain. 
After  half  an  hour’s  ride,  amongst  dirty  huts  and  tattered 
coffee-hovels,  we  reached  the  enceinte,  and  found  the  door 
closed.  Presently  a man  came  running  with  might  from 
the  town  ; he  was  followed  by  two  others ; and  it  struck  me 
at  the  time  that  they  applied  the  key  with  peculiar  em- 
pressement , and  made  inordinately  low  congees  as  we 
entered  the  enclosure  of  whitewashed  walls. 

44  The  Mother  ” is  supposed  to  lie,  like  a Muslimah,  front- 
ing the  Kaabah,  with  her  feet  northwards,  her  head  south- 
wards, and  her  right  cheek  propped  by  her  right  hand. 
Whitewashed,  and  conspicuous  to  the  voyager  and  traveller 
from  afar,  is  a diminutive  dome  with  an  opening  to  the 
west ; it  is  furnished  as  such  places  usually  are  in  El  Hejaz. 
Under  it  and  in  the  centre  is  a square  stone,  planted  up- 
right and  fancifully  carved,  to  represent  the  omphalic  region 
of  the  human  frame.  This,  as  well  as  the  dome,  is  called 


END  OF  THE  PILGRIMAGE. 


491 


El  Surrah,  or  the  navel.  The  cicerone  directed  me  to  kiss 
this  manner  of  hieroglyph,  which  I did,  thinking  the  while 
that,  under  the  circumstance,  the  salutation  was  quite 
uncalled  for.  Having  prayed  here,  and  at  the  head,  where 
a few  young  trees  grow,  we  walked  along  the  side  of  the 
two  parallel  dwarf  walls  which  define  the  outlines  of  the 
body : they  are  about  six  paces  apart,  and  between  them, 
upon  Eve’s  neck,  are  two  tombs,  occupied,  I was  told,  by 
Usman  Pacha  and  his  son,  who  repaired  the  Mother’s 
sepulchre.  I could  not  help  remarking  to  the  boy  Moham- 
med, that  if  our  first  parent  measured  120  paces  from  head 
to  waist,  and  80  from  waist  to  heel,  she  must  have  presented 
much  the  appearance  of  a duck.  To  this  the  youth  replied, 
flippantly,  that  he  thanked  his  stars  the  Mother  was  under 
ground,  otherwise  that  men  would  lose  their  senses  with 
fright. 

On  leaving  the  graveyard  I offered  the  guardian  a dol- 
lar, which  he  received  with  a remonstrance  that  a man  of 
my  dignity  should  give  so  paltry  a fee.  Nor  was  he  at  all 
contented  with  the  assurance  that  nothing  more  could  be 
expected  from  an  Afghan  dervish,  however  pious.  Next 
day  the  boy  Mohammed  explained  the  man’s  empressement 
and  disappointment, — I had  been  mistaken  for  the  Pacha 
of  El  Medinah. 

For  a time  my  peregrinations  ended.  Worn  out  with 
fatigue,  and  the  fatal  fiery  heat,  I embarked  on  board  the 
“ Dwarka,”  experienced  the  greatest  kindness  from  the 
commander  and  chief  officers  (Messrs.  Wolley  and  Taylor), 
and,  wondering  the  while  how  the  Turkish  pilgrims  who 
crowded  the  vessel  did  not  take  the  trouble  to  throw 
me  overboard,  in  due  time  arrived  at  Suez.  And  here, 
reader,  we  part.  Bear  with  me  while  I conclude,  in  the 
words  of  a brother  traveller,  long  gone,  but  not  forgotten — 


492  A PILGRIMAGE  TO  EL  MEDINA!!  AND  MECCAH. 

Fa-hian — this  Personal  Narrative  of  my  Journey  to  El 
Hejaz : “ I have  been  exposed  to  perils,  and  I have  escaped 
from  them ; I have  traversed  the  sea,  and  have  not  succum- 
bed under  the  severest  fatigues ; and  my  heart  is  moved 
with  emotions  of  gratitude,  that  I have  been  permitted  to 
effect  the  objects  I had  in  view.” 


THE  END. 


/ 


/ 


